SUNBURY - A former substitute teacher for Shamokin Area School District is scheduled to appear for a pre-trial conference next month after deciding not to enter a guilty plea in the case Friday.
Northumberland County First Assistant District Attorney Ann Targonski said Michael S. Zack, 24, of 201 Warsaw St., Marion Heights, was expected to enter a plea Friday, but decided against it after Targonski amended a subsection of one of the charges on the original criminal complaint filed against him that would require him to register as a Megan's Law violator for a minimum of 10 years if he plead guilty to the charge or was convicted of the offense. Targonski said the amendment would not alter sentencing guidelines.
Zack was charged by Coal Township Detective Jeff Brennan with felonies of sending obscene and other sexual materials and having unlawful contact with a minor, and a misdemeanor of corruption of minors.
The felony offenses each carry a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment and/or $15,000 fine. The corruption of minors charge carries a maximum penalty of five years incarceration and/or $10,000 fine.
At his Sept. 7 pre-trial conference in Northumberland County Court, Zack can plead guilty or no contest, or seek a trial by pleading not guilty.
The defendant waived the charges to court June 26 before Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III after his preliminary hearing had been continued four times.
Efforts to reach Zack's attorney, Marc Lieberman, of Elysburg, were unsuccessful late Monday afternoon.
Zack was charged March 15 in connection with incidents that occurred between March 15, 2011, and Oct. 30, 2011, in the east end of the township and Shamokin Area Middle/High school.
Zack is accused of sending approximately 4,300 text messages to two 17-year-old females and two 16-year-old girls, all of whom attended Shamokin Area at the time. Many of the messages depicted sexually graphic material, police said.
Zack, who voluntarily turned himself over to authorities, is free on $20,000 unsecured bail.
He has been ordered by Gembic to avoid all contact with the victims and witnesses in the case and abide by other supervised bail conditions.
Zack was hired as a 180-day substitute teacher in the district in August and terminated by the school board at its December meeting, retroactive to Nov. 16.