PETERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Since January, there have been signs posted throughout Peters Township High School’s bathrooms and locker rooms that say cell phones are not allowed to be taken out in those specific areas.
That policy went into place during the middle of an investigation surrounding Peters Township senior class president Zachariah Meyers, who is accused of running a sex trafficking and “sextortion” operation that targeted Peters students.
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“Why weren’t those up before? So we are still really trying to dig through the facts of the case right now,” civil attorney Amy Mathieu told Channel 11.
Mathieu was at Meyers’ hearing Friday because she represents one of the victims who was unknowingly recorded in the wrestling locker room — after police say Meyers blackmailed a student who sent him a nude photo, and threatened to release it if that student didn’t record the team undressing.
“He was recorded without his knowledge, so he didn’t know he was victimized until the police called him and told him,” Mathieu said.
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Mathieu tells Channel 11 it’s unclear where those videos ended up, and who may have accessed them.
“With a crime like this, you’re not victimized once. You’re victimized every time a new person downloads that image online,” Mathieu said. “You’re not even aware of that. So it has lifelong damages to someone who is a victim of child sex abuse material.”
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In addition to Meyers’ charges, Mathieu is also looking into whether the Peters Township School District shares any fault in the case, specifically for the locker room recordings.
“We are investigating to see what the claims may be in the school for the recording happening at the school, with or without their knowledge, with or without a coach present in the locker room. Was he using school-issued devices to contact these other students? We just don’t know.”
Mathieu is also exploring the possibility of filing another civil case against the social media sites Meyers is accused of using to send nude photos of kids.
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