A former Parkland School District administrator charged with secretly recording a student without his consent will head to court.

Francis Anonia, 44, of Allentown, is scheduled to face trial later this year before Judge Robert L. Steinberg. He was charged on Oct. 14, 2024, with five counts each of intercept communications and criminal use of a communication facility and nine counts of invasion of privacy and remains free on $50,000 bail.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said police began an investigation of Anonia on April 2, 2024, after receiving a referral through the state’s Childline program.

The probe determined on Feb. 23, 2023, Anonia’s cellphone was seized by Allentown Police as part of an investigation surrounding his live-in fiancé and former student, William Marshall. Marshall entered a guilty plea to possession of child sexual abuse material and on Jan. 11, 2024, and was sentenced to 11½ to 23 months in Lehigh County Jail.

Holihan said Anonia’s cellphone was not analyzed at that time but remained in possession of police. He said during an April 16, 2024, interview with Lehigh County detectives, Anonia agreed to abandon his cellphone.

The district attorney said following the April 2, 2024 Childline referral and a subsequent press release from Parkland School District, a number of former students and teachers came forward to report inappropriate behavior by Anonia.

Authorities then received an additional Childline referral in late April 2024.

After a search warrant was secured through court on May 14, 2024, authorities discovered Anonia recorded videos and pictures of the student which led to the current charges.

During a hearing held Monday on Anonia’s petition to suppress evidence seized through the search of his cellphone, Lehigh County District Attorney Detective Gregg Dietz testified about how the images and videos were discovered on Anonia’s cellphone and other possible criminal investigations involving Anonia. On cross-examination, defense counsel elicited testimony from Dietz detailing former students’ reports of Anonia’s inappropriate behavior over more than a decade, including acts that occurred in other countries and Anonia’s alleged failure to report sexual abuse he witnessed involving a third party who was ultimately tried and convicted in another county.

Following the hearing this week, attorneys were asked to file legal briefs about the seizure of the cellphone and Judge Steinberg scheduled Anonia’s trial for Dec. 1.