Gwynedd Mercy Academy Employee Sentenced For Touching Teen Girl

LOWER GWYNEDD, PA — A former employee at a private elementary school has been sentenced for having indecent contact with a 13-year-old girl after being found guilty of indecent assault in September.

Marcus Forte, 41, of Warrington, a former IT department employee at Gwynedd Mercy Academy Elementary in Lower Gwynedd, was sentenced to five years of probation for the charges on Monday, according to court documents. Forte was not sentenced to any prison time beyond the year and a half which he has already served while awaiting trial.

Forte was arrested by Upper Gwynedd police in June 2016 and originally faced much more serious charges of institutional sexual assault, sexual contact with a student, corruption of minors, and related counts, which were ultimately dismissed, court documents show.

Forte allegedly groped and inappropriately touched the victim on numerous occasions, according to authorities.

Police were notified of the situation after a therapist at the school told police she saw text messages between Forte and the teen and had the student's phone in her possession, an affidavit of probable cause said.

Police said that in April, the student texted Forte saying she was home sick from school. Forte replied "come to my house and snuggle."

Authorities say he picked up the student and they went to Starbucks. He then drove her home and followed her inside, police said. Once inside, he began touching and tickling her, police said. The girl told police he was "literally on top of me" and she didn't know what to do.

The victim also told police she had visited Forte in his private office at school during lunch for several months leading up to the incident at her home. During those meetings, he would kiss her and hold her on his lap, police said.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, Forte and the teen exchanged Facebook messages as well as direct text messages, during which Forte said things like "I love you" and "come visit more often so I can give you more hugs and smooches…and candy of course."

His lawyer argued that Forte saw himself as a father figure and that he spoke to everyone that way, according to The Reporter.

During an interview with police, authorities said Forte admitted he "inadvertently" touched the teen's breast during what he said was "extreme hugging." He also admitted to having the teen in his office during school hours with the door closed.

Forte has been held at Montgomery County Correctional Facility since his arrest last June. In addition to probation, Forte must complete 250 hours of community service and report his address to state police for 25 years as part of the state's Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act, The Reporter states.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Michael Stewart Ryan and Kristen Margeurite Gibbons Feden.

Image via Upper Gwynedd Police Department