Guilty Pleas Made In Delco Fire Company Sex Abuse Cases

FOLCROFT, PA — A former Delaware County fire chief and his former deputy chief pleaded guilty in court recently in separate cases that centered around the sexual abuse of a junior firefighter.

Thomas Weber, 52, of Folcroft, pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and failing to report suspected child abuse Monday in a Delaware County court.

Weber, the former chief of the Folcroft Fire Company, was charged in May this year in connection with the case against Matthew Bateman, 28, of Folcroft.

Bateman, the company's former deputy chief, last month pleaded guilty to indecent assault of a person under 16 years old and unlawful contact with a minor.

Authorities said Weber failed to report the alleged sexual abuse of a junior firefighter by Bateman.

According to county investigators, Weber was made aware of the alleged abuse by Bateman in mid-November 2022.

The victim, then 15 years old, and a witness reported the abuse allegations to Weber over the phone, which was corroborated by cellphone records provided by the witness.

In December 2022, the victim told the Child Advocacy Center he had told Weber about the alleged abuse, authorities said.

A second witness told authorities in January this year that they told Weber on two occasions they suspected inappropriate behavior by Bateman regarding the victim, according to authorities.

Then a few days later, a third witness told investigators they got a call from Weber in November 2022 saying the victim alleged abuse by Bateman.

Authorities said Weber told the first witness the issue would be addressed at a fire company board meeting and that he wanted the victim to speak at the meeting, however the victim never was given a chance to voice their allegations at said meeting.

The affidavit states Weber never disclosed to authorities the allegations of Bateman sexually abusing the junior firefighter victim, which ultimately led to Weber being charged.

Weber was sentenced to five years probation and Bateman was sentenced to one to two years in state prison with five years of probation. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 25 years.