ALLENTOWN, Pa. \u2014 A Lehigh Valley Phantoms employee whose team-assigned job title was \u201cmanager of fun\u201d is in Lehigh County Jail on $100,000 bail, charged Friday with possessing videos of children being sexually abused.<\/p>\n
Matthew Francis, 29, of Allentown, faces felony counts of sexual abuse of children, possession of child sexual abuse material, and criminal use of a communication facility, District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Pennsylvania State Police Capt. Seth J. Kelly, the Troop M commanding officer, said in a news release Friday.<\/p>\n
The case involves an employee of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, which plays at PPL Center in downtown Allentown and markets games and community programming to families.<\/p>\n
A detail from three months earlier identified the phone. On Sept. 4, state police received two tips that videos of child sexual abuse had been uploaded, the release said. They came from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which collects such reports from technology companies.<\/p>\n
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By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy<\/a> and consent to receive updates.<\/p>\n Investigators traced the internet address to an apartment in the unit block of North Seventh Street. They also traced the uploading phone number to Francis, the same number the release said he gave Allentown police in June when he filed a report about a dispute with a neighbor at that apartment.<\/p>\n Investigators said the files depicted the sexual abuse of children, including young children.<\/p>\n Allentown police and state troopers searched the apartment Friday and found at least two more such videos on Francis\u2019 cellphone, the release said. Police took him into custody during the search and arraigned him the same day. His preliminary hearing is set for 9:45 a.m. Sept. 18 before Magisterial District Judge Karen Devine.<\/p>\n The \u201cmanager of fun\u201d title came from the Phantoms themselves. A team-branded welcome graphic names Francis and lists his position as \u201cManager of Fun,\u201d his hometown as Joppa, Md., and his college as Monmouth University.<\/p>\n An archived Nov. 15, 2025 LinkedIn post by Francis includes that graphic and says he was starting a new position as Manager of Fun at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The original LinkedIn post is no longer available.<\/p>\n Francis\u2019 LinkedIn profile<\/a>, still visible Saturday, Sept. 12, lists his work with the Phantoms as \u201cMascot Coordinator & Community Relations.\u201d His profile\u2019s \u201cAbout\u201d section says he is a professional mascot performer with more than 10 years of experience and says he enjoys connecting with fans and entertaining people of all ages.<\/p>\n Stay informed on Lehigh Valley crime<\/p>\n Get the latest crime news and updates from across the Valley.<\/p>\n