ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Former Parkland High School performing arts administrator Francis Anonia pleaded guilty Monday to secretly recording a student changing clothes during rehearsals for a school musical.
In 2024, Lehigh County prosecutors charged Anonia with 19 criminal counts, including invasion of privacy, illegal recording and criminal use of a communications facility.
Anonia will return to Steinberg’s courtroom in February to receive his sentence; he faces 44 to 88 years in prison.Lehigh County Court records
Appearing before county Judge Robert Steinberg on Monday morning, Anonia, 44, pleaded guilty to all 19 charges.
Steinberg immediately revoked Anonia’s bail and officers took him into custody.
Anonia will return to Steinberg’s courtroom in February to receive his sentence; he faces a possible maximum of 44 to 88 years in prison, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office.
He will be required to register as a sex offender for at least the next 15 years, and may be required to register for the rest of his life.
Charges came after reports
According to court records, Lehigh County detectives received multiple ChildLine reports regarding Anonia in 2024.
Allentown police had already seized Anonia’s cell phone in a 2023 investigation of William Marshall, who lived with Anonia at the time. Though investigators did not charge Anonia with any wrongdoing, they held on to his cell phone.
A police search turned up videos, apparently recorded surreptitiously in 2021, of a student changing clothes in a dressing room near Parkland’s theater.Lehigh County Court records
Lehigh County detectives retrieved the phone from their Allentown counterparts after receiving a first ChildLine report in early April of 2024 alleging that Anonia made sexually suggestive comments to a student.
When a second ChildLine referral came in a few weeks later, investigators obtained a warrant to search Anonia’s phone.
The search turned up videos, apparently recorded surreptitiously in 2021, of a student changing clothes in a dressing room near Parkland’s theater, according to charging documents.
This year, Anonia’s attorney asked Judge Steinberg to throw out any evidence retrieved from the cell phone, arguing that investigators obtained it illegally by lying to Anonia.
Steinberg rejected that request last week, giving Anonia two options: plead guilty or face trial.
