Swineford waives hearing; invasion of privacy case proceeds to common pleas court

The East Stroudsburg Area School District math teacher accused of recording his fiancée's daughters in his bathroom has waived his preliminary hearing.

John Swineford, 43, of East Stroudsburg, was listed online as a math teacher at East Stroudsburg High School South before the page went under redesign. The school district did not respond to inquiries about his current employment status.

Swineford appeared before Magisterial District Court Judge Paul Gasper on Wednesday. The case now proceeds to the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas.

He was charged on May 17 with eight misdemeanors. According to the affidavit of probable cause, he admitted on May 1, 2023, to recording his fiancée’s daughters, ages 17 and 12, in his bathroom the prior day. His fiancée told police that she also took a shower the morning Swineford admitted to recording her daughters.

At his Wednesday preliminary hearing, he waived all eight charges for criminal court. Three charges are for invasion of privacy, two are for evidence tampering, two are for criminal attempt of endangering the welfare of a minor and one is for possession of an instrument of a crime.

Unsecured bail was set at $25,000.

Swineford is due in court on Sept. 3 for a formal arraignment in front of Judge Stephen Higgins.

Max Augugliaro is the public safety and government watchdog reporter at the Pocono Record. Reach him atMAugugliaro@gannett.com.