Central Bucks ex choir director sentenced: 'You earned my trust and you destroyed me.'

A popular former Central Bucks School District choir director who secretly filmed a former student undressing seven years ago, and molested two boys in the 1990s claims that he is a changed man.

In his first public statement since his arrests last year, Joseph Ohrt told a Bucks County courtroom Monday that he is focused on God and rebuilding a respectful life with a different viewpoint.

Almost daily he works with the homeless in Philadelphia. He attends Bible study and church regularly. He is working with therapists that specialize in treating sex offenders, studying psychology, and embarking on new artistic endeavors to bring attention to the less fortunate.

"My life is now completely different than 18 months ago," Ohrt said. "I want you to be assured of my contrition."

But Bucks County Judge Jeffrey Finley was not moved by his words, noting that none of them included admitting his crimes or showing empathy toward his victims.

Ohrt entered a no contest plea to charges of indecent assault, corruption of minors, tampering with evidence and invasion of privacy last October. With a no contest plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges there is enough evidence that the prosecution could prove its case to a judge or jury.

"I don't find you are remorseful ... I don't believe you care about anyone other than yourself. Talk about doing the right things for the wrong reasons," Finley said. "You didn't have the courage to admit your conduct."

The judge then ordered the 58-year-old Buckingham resident to serve 2-1/2 to five years in state prison followed by five years probation. He will also be required to receive sex offender treatment in prison and once he is paroled, including therapeutic polygraph tests.

Ohrt will also be required to register with Pennsylvania State Police as a sex offender for the next 15 years. At a hearing before sentencing, Finley ruled that Ohrt did not meet the criteria for a sexually violent predator, which carries lifetime registration and additional restrictions.

But Finley said his decision should not be interpreted that he doesn't think that Ohrt is a predator. In his experience, he said, sex offenders who do not own up to their conduct, don't get much benefit out of treatment.

The judge stated that after reading the dozens of character letters submitted on his behalf, he believed Ohrt misled his supporters. Finley said he drew that conclusion because all but two letters did not mention the charges against Ohrt and the ones that did suggested his conduct was misunderstood.

"You heard the impact on (the victims). The impact on them for decades," Finley said. "The impact on them as they sit here today. They still struggle with the trauma you caused."

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Victims of CB's Joseph Ohrt speak in court

His three victims gave tearful statements about how Ohrt had befriended them, and groomed them before engaging in inappropriate conduct. This news organization is using only initials to identify the men because they are victims of sexual crimes.

J.C. told the court he never believed he'd see justice when he called ChildLine, the state's child abuse reporting hotline last year alleging that Ohrt had inappropriately touched him when he was a Central Bucks West senior and choir student in 2016.

No criminal charges were brought on those allegations, but ones involving secret video recordings of the now adult man emerged after investigators went to question Ohrt about the abuse allegations.

Authorities eventually learned that after graduation, J.C. moved into an extra bedroom at Ohrt's home for a short time, where unbeknownst to J.C., Ohrt set up four video cameras. They recorded him in various stages of undressing. When Ohrt learned police were investigating him, he attempted to get rid of the video recordings and equipment.

J.C. told the court that Ohrt took advantage of his high position of respect in the community and school district to insulate himself to scrutiny about his well-known demonstrative behavior and insert himself into the lives of his victims.

He told the court he no longer can use public urinals, he refuses to change in locker rooms, he distrusts authority figures, he quit college and accumulated $10,000 debt. He is no longer pursuing music as a career. He has been harassed in emails and his girlfriend and family members questioned his sexual orientation.

"You not only invaded my privacy, but you invaded my entire being," J.C. said. "Every moment of my life was infiltrated. This has destroyed my life."

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The babysitter

Z.E. met Ohrt in the early 1990s, when he joined the Young Singers of Pennsylvania, a community choir that Ohrt was in charge of. He was 11.

Ohrt was funny and fun. He related to kids. Everyone loved him. When he started paying him more attention, it made Z.E. feel special. He became close to Ohrt and his family, so much so he babysat for Ohrt's son.

One night, when he was around 13, he was babysitting when Ohrt and his then wife returned from a dinner out to celebrate their wedding anniversary, Z.E. said.

When they were alone, Ohrt pulled him into his lap and put his hands down the front of his pants, he said. As he squirmed to get away, Ohrt bear hugged him and wrestled him to the ground and got on top of him, he said.

To this day, Z.E. said he doesn't remember how he got out of the house, he said. All he remembers is Ohrt drove him home, hugged him, kissed his cheek and told him he loved him. Then he blocked the memory until something triggered it when he was 19.

Not a day has passed since then that he hasn't thought about it. For decades he only shared what happened with girlfriends. He still has trouble regulating his emotions, he is paranoid and doesn't trust people. He feels guilty for now coming forward sooner.

"He is a profoundly damaged person," Z.E. said. "I have no doubt there are many more (victims). I didn't want to believe me either when it happened to me."

The new kid in school

N.Y. was the new kid at Linden Elementary in 1991. His parents moved into the Central Bucks School District from New Jersey. He was looking forward sixth grade, and making new friends.

One of them was his choir teacher, Mr. Ohrt. He made him feel special. Brought him special snacks. Took him out of class for piano lessons. But he also did other things like pinch his butt, rub his back, hug him and kiss his cheek, he said.

Then during a piano lesson, he sat N.Y. on his lap on the piano bench, unbuttoned his pants and molested him.

In a statement that he called a letter directed at Ohrt, N.Y. said he will no longer be ashamed of what happened.

"You are the lowest of the low to groom an 11 year old," N.Y. said. "You choose me. You groomed me. You earned my trust and you destroyed me."

N.Y. also heavily criticized the Central Bucks School District for its failure to intervene with Ohrt in 1991, after his parents confronted the school principal and guidance counselor.

The only action taken against Ohrt was transferring him to Central Bucks West, where he remained until he resigned in March 2022 after 35 years in the district. After entering West, where he graduated in 1998, Ohrt harassed him daily calling him a "rat," and blowing kisses at him, N.Y. said.

Thirty years later, N.Y. said he still struggles with trusting people. He doesn't allow his son to play youth sports, go to sleep overs, even visit friends unless he or his mother are with him.

"Everyone knows you are a monster, and everyone knows the Central Bucks School District enabled you."

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Central Bucks Schools ex choir director sentenced for inappropriate conduct