Andrew P. Neafie, a former gymnastics coach, has been given a sentence of up to seven years in state prison and is not allowed to coach youth sports for 14 years. He was charged with having and distributing child sexual abuse materials.
Neafie, 55, who used to live on Keller Road in Fairmount Township, was taken into custody by the Pennsylvania State Police, Luzerne County district attorney’s office, and West Hazleton police following the execution of a search warrant at his home on April 21, 2023.
According to court records, detectives discovered around 1,000 images of child sexual abuse materials on his cell phone.
During his sentencing hearing before Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough, Neafie claimed he was unaware that the images were on his phone.
Judge Vough expressed extreme concern at Neafie's claim and sentenced him to two to seven years in prison for disseminating photos or films of child sexual abuse materials, along with an additional 14 years of probation for possessing child pornography.
Neafie was given credit for the 351 days he had already served in jail and is required to register as a sex offender for 25 years under the state’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
In addition, Neafie is not allowed to coach youth sports while on probation, as ordered by Judge Vough.
When Neafie was apprehended, he informed the detectives that he had been a gymnastics coach for over 30 years, working with children aged 8 to 18.
Court records indicate that Neafie admitted during interviews with detectives that he was attracted to younger, fit females and mentioned encountering child sexual abuse materials while researching a nudist resort in western Pennsylvania.
