The former performing arts director for the Parkland School District pleaded guilty Monday to charges related to his secretly recording a student during high school theater rehearsals and performances in 2021.
Francis Anonia, 44, of Allentown, resigned from the district in June 2024 after Childline complaints and other misconduct reports were filed that April. He was charged in October 2024 with multiple counts of invasion of privacy, criminal use of a communication facility and other offenses.
Anonia did not testify during the plea hearing. Bail was revoked and sentencing was tentatively scheduled for February.
The plea deal came as Anonia was scheduled to go to trial. Recently, a Lehigh County judge rejected a motion that would have barred evidence found on his cell phone from the trial.
Anonia’s cellphone had been seized by police in February 2023 as part of an investigation into his live-in fiance and former student, William Marshall, authorities said. Marshall pled guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material and was sentenced to 11 ½ to 23 months in the Lehigh County jail.
Anonia’s cellphone was not analyzed during the earlier investigation, but he did not request its return and agreed to abandon it during an April 2024 interview with Lehigh County detectives, the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office said.
Childline referrals received in April 2024, along with numerous reports from former students and teachers, led to a May 2024 search warrant that granted investigators access to the phone. Videos and pictures discovered at that time led to the current charges.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.