School custodian's sex case heads to court
A former Pleasant Valley School District custodian's sex-with-minor and corruption-of-minor cases are headed to Monroe County Court.
Robert Pini Jr., 31, of Effort, was scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Friday before District Judge Colleen Mancuso of Chestnuthill Township.But, instead, Pini opted to waive his right to the hearing, and is scheduled to appear at 12:30 p.m. March 18 in the county Court of Common Pleas in Stroudsburg for a pretrial status conference.Pini is charged in a November case with having inappropriate contact with a 16-year-old girl and hindering authorities by concealing or destroying evidence.He's also charged in a February 2014 case with giving a 15-year-old girl alcohol and having sexual contact with her.Pini remains incarcerated in Monroe County Correctional Facility in lieu of $200,000 bail in one case, and $15,000 bail in the other.Court documents say Pini admitted to meeting the 16-year-old girl for sex at least 15 times at various places in Chestnuthill Township.Pini knew the girl's age because he was at her 16th birthday party, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by detective Wendy Serfass.Pini's actions came to light when the girl told her parents about the relationship.Police learned of the matter on Sept. 27, the day the girl's father called Pini, who admitted to having had sex with the girl over the summer, and to having given her alcohol at least three times.After the phone conversation, Pini texted the girl's father, saying "I am sorry for what I have done. I don't know what you are going to do. But all I can think is that I just lost the biggest part of my life. I am sorry again. Tell (the girl) I love her and to smile. Sorry again for what I failed to do. I guess this is a goodbye."In October, Pleasant Valley School District placed Pini on administrative leave.Superintendent Carole Geary said at that time the action was taken "(as soon as) the school became aware."Geary said at that time that Pini, who worked the night shift, is on "administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation."Pini was arraigned before Mancuso in October and freed after posting $25,000 bail.It's not clear how long Pini, who worked the night shift, worked for the school district, but he had been a volunteer football coach since at least 2010.This isn't Pini's first brush with the law.In October 2009, he was charged by state police at Fern Ridge with disorderly conduct after he stood in the parking lot of the West End ambulance building, shouting obscenities because someone inside the building would not talk to him, according to court records.Pini pleaded guilty to that charge and paid a fine.