Teacher charged with molestation found dead

Apparent suicide happened on his day to plead guilty in court MILFORD — Gregory Ritter, 45, who was scheduled to plead guilty in the Pike County Court of Common Pleas to charges he had sex with a 14-year-old male, was found dead Jan. 7, with an apparent gunshot wound to his head. Reportedly, According to the Pike County District Attorney’s office, Ritter’s attorney confirmed that his client had committed suicide. Ritter’s plea was scheduled on the same morning his remains were found. He was found outside an apartment where he was living in Barrett Township, Monroe County. Ritter had been a seventh grade teacher at the East Mills Middle School in Bethlehem. He was suspended from the teaching position after the Pennsylvania State Police filed charges against him in February, 2009. The charges against Ritter related to crimes he engaged in with the 14-year-old in the fall of 2008. The minor had met Ritter at a summer Boy Scout camp. Between September and November of 2008, the boy visited Ritter at his former home in Palmyra Township, Pike County and slept over at Ritter’s house on several occasions. The boy told the state police, and later testified at a preliminary hearing, that Ritter engaged in various sexual acts with him during some of these visits. Ritter’s acts against the boy came to light when the boy’s mother discovered text messages Ritter had sent to her son on his cell phone. The boy’s mother then engaged in a texting conversation with Ritter while pretending to be her son, during which Ritter disclosed inappropriate acts that he had engaged in with the boy during the previous weekend. The boy’s mother did not inform Ritter during the text conversation that Ritter was texting her as opposed to her son and she later called the police. First Assistant District Attorney Bruce DeSarro stated that the evidence against Ritter was overwhelming. DeSarro stated that “my sole concern is for the trauma the victim suffered through the defendant’s criminal acts and these recent events. The victim did the right thing in disclosing these crimes and making sure Ritter could not harm any future potential victims in the same way that Ritter harmed him.” Ritter had been given a national award several years ago as one of 33 teachers selected for Disney’s American Teacher Award in 2000. Ritter’s death is being investigated by the Barrett Township Police Department.