Ex-school administrator sentenced for child offenses
Juniata County native to spend up to 8 years in prison, charged with exploitation
Trending
MIDDLEBURG -- Christopher S. Morrison was sentenced Wednesday for offenses related to child exploitation, according to a press release from Snyder County District Attorney Mike Piecuch.
Morrison, 40, a native of Juniata County, pleaded guilty in June to four counts of felony unlawful contact with a minor for purposes of committing sexual abuse of children.
In May 2020, it was discovered that Morrison -- who at the time was assistant principal of Selinsgrove Area Middle School -- was using a social media platform to solicit nude images from underaged females while posing as a male student.
Pennsylvania State Police Selinsgrove initiated an investigation after a report by a family member of one of the victims. Further investigation identified four victims between the ages of 11 and 14 years old.
Names or other identifying information of the victims or their families are not released pursuant to Snyder County District Attorney's Office policy.
Morrison originally was charged with two felony counts of soliciting a minor online for images of sexual acts, two felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, two felony counts of criminal use of a communication facility, two misdemeanor counts of corruption of minors and one misdemeanor count of possession of an instrument of crime.
Until Wednesday, he had been free on $175,000 bail.
Morrison received a sentence of 9 months to 8 years in state prison from Judge Michael Sholley and was immediately taken into custody. Morrison also was ordered to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law for the next 25 years.
In addition, Morrison received a concurrent sentence of 8 years' probation. This means that should he be released on parole and violate his conditions of supervision, Morrison will face revocation by the state parole board as well as by county court.
He is not eligible to seek parole until after serving his minimum nine-months sentence and completing any programming or counseling mandated by the state Department of Corrections.
"I hope the state parole board makes Morrison serve every day of that eight-year sentence," Piecuch said. "It's beyond heinous that he used a position of trust to victimize these girls."