VITO GRANIERI
of this year.
For the second time in a week, a part-time teacher's assistant at a Collegeville elementary school has been accused of having inappropriate contact with underage boys.
Vito Granieri, 45, of the 1000 block of Chelsea Way, Skippack, who was an information technology assistant at Saint Eleanor Parish School, was arraigned Wednesday before District Court Judge Benjamin R. Crahalla on charges of indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children, corruption of a minor, unlawful contact with a minor and harassment in connection with alleged inappropriate touching incidents that occurred with two 9-year-old boys at the school between September and November of this year.
Last Friday, Granieri was arrested on identical charges in connection with his alleged inappropriate conduct with another boy between 2006 and 2008 when that boy was between 9 and 11 years old.
Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman confirmed Granieri's arrest on the additional indecent assault-related charges, but she would not comment further about the allegations contained in the criminal complaint.
In the latest allegations, each of the two boys allegedly told authorities Granieri started touching their genitals in the second-grade when Granieri was with the boys in the school's computer lab or in the lunchroom.
"Both (boys) reported Granieri would always be giving them candy," Collegeville Detective Gerard A. Milburn wrote in the arrest affidavit.
The boys, who referred to Granieri as "Mr. G.," told detectives that Granieri gave them
the candy after the alleged touching incidents occurred, according to the criminal complaint.
On one occasion, one of the boys told Granieri to stop the touching; however, after a few days, Granieri began touching the boy again, the arrest affidavit alleged.
Granieri remained free Thursday after posting $250,000 cash bail through a bondsman to await his preliminary hearing on all the charges.
Officials of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which operates the school, previously said Granieri's contract with the school has been terminated and he will not be hired at any school in the Archdiocese. School officials said they are cooperating with authorities in the investigation and that the school's pastor and principal are communicating with school families to ensure parents are kept informed.
Archdiocese officials said Granieri worked part time with the school's technology program since 2004. Granieri also assisted with the lunch program with other staff and parents.
Officials said the school has on file all required state police and child abuse clearances for Granieri and that he had participated in the Archdiocesan Safe Environment training program.
The original investigation began after a boy, now 11, and his parents contacted Collegeville police on Nov. 11 to report that Granieri allegedly touched the boy inappropriately on numerous occasions while the boy was in the second, third, and fourth grades and was between 9 and 11 years old, according to court papers.
Granieri allegedly placed candy in the boy's pants pockets, and as he did so would allegedly touch the boy's genitals. The boy also reported that in the third-grade, Granieri allegedly started leaving him notes in his desk, according to the arrest affidavit.
The boy further reported that Granieri allegedly touched him inappropriately on four separate occasions while they were alone on a school elevator between Nov. 6 and Nov. 10 of this year, according to the arrest affidavit.
http://www.teachercrime.com/pennsylvania.html
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