MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Note: The video is from Aug. 22, 2022.
Three former Middletown High School students who police said were the ringleaders in a 2022 hazing incident that caused the one-year shutdown of the football team were found delinquent in juvenile court.
Dauphin County Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gettle on Thursday confirmed the details of a Pennlive report on the case. She said two of the three former players pleaded guilty last week to three counts each of unlawful restraint, indecent assault and hazing.
Prosecutors dropped additional charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, Gettle said.
The third juvenile asked for a hearing, and was found to be delinquent on all counts by the judge. In juvenile court, "delinquent" is the equivalent of a guilty verdict.
Included in the delinquent verdict was a charge of being an accomplice to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, because the defendant restrained one of the victims during the assault, Gettle said.
The three defendants will be sentenced at a later date, Gettle said. There is a chance that they will avoid court-ordered placements in a juvenile detention facility, as was the case with other defendants in the hazing incident thus far.
Gettle told Pennlive that in the juvenile system, there is always an effort made to rehabilitate the offender in the community if possible.
According to the report, one of the defendants last week is 18 years old and in college. The other two former Middletown students, whom are 17 and 18, are enrolled in cyber-school programs and are attempting to attain their high school diplomas.
Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo charged 10 juvenile offenders following an investigation of the hazing allegations in September 2022.
The Criminal Investigation Division of Chardo's office began investigating the allegations after receiving a request from Lower Swatara Township Police on Aug. 12, 2022.
Police began looking into the allegations after being alerted by Middletown School District officials after a video showing the alleged hazing of a player at football practice began circulating on social media.
Investigators interviewed more than 80 people over the course of the one-month investigation.
As a result of the investigation, police determined that on Aug. 11, 2022, three students were sexually assaulted in the turf room during a period of approximately 20 minutes, when the students were alone without the presence of any adults.
Through the investigation, police learned that three other students were also assaulted over the last year during various incidents, with at least one incident occurring at a home, investigators said.
On Aug. 15, 2022—four days after video of the alleged hazing incident first surfaced on social media—former Middletown head football coach Scott Acri resigned.
The school district announced on Aug. 24, 2022, that it was cancelling the high school football season after learning that there was a second video of the incident, and that the number of players involved was larger than officials initially thought.
Later that month, families of two of the alleged victims retained the services of a Harrisburg law firm known for its work with victims of sexual abuse.
On Sept. 7, 2022, the school district announced that eight students believed to be involved in the incident had been expelled, and on that same day the district's school board voted to accept a new plan to address and eliminate hazing within the school.
Middletown's football program was allowed to resume for the 2023 season. The Blue Raiders, now coached by athletic director Scott Govern, are 1-4 through five games this season.
All Middletown coaches and players are now required to sign an anti-hazing pledge, the school district said.