Donegal Township man accused of photographing sex acts with underage girl

A 22-year-old Donegal Township man is jailed on $50,000 bond, charged with multiple counts of photographing sex acts with an underage girl last year.

Zachary D. Kastner was arrested by state troopers in Greensburg on two counts of knowingly permitting and photographing sex acts with a juvenile and single counts of sexual abuse of a minor and criminal use of a communication facility.

Trooper James McKenzie reported in court documents filed before Ligonier District Judge Denise Thiel that the investigation began late last year when the juvenile reported that she learned Kastner had taken illicit photographs of her when the pair was having sex in his car when they were parked near Donegal Lake last August.

Court papers released on the case had the age of the girl is blacked out.

McKenzie said the girl told police the relationship began in the summer of 2019 when the pair met at the McDonald’s Restaurant off Route 31 and later began regularly conversing on social media.

Police said Kastner was interviewed and acknowledged taking photographs, but claimed he had deleted the photographs from his iPhone. McKenzie reported that Kastner “voluntarily” surrendered his iPhone during the investigation.

McKenzie reported that the cell phone was forwarded to the state police computer crime lab and photographs of the pair “engaged in sex acts” were recovered on the device during forensic analysis.

Thiel ordered Kastner held in the county prison after he failed to post bond pending a preliminary hearing Aug. 5.

A message left for Kastner’s private attorney, Douglas Sepic of Connellsville, was not returned.