Former Cal U coach to stand trial in South Fayette sexting case
A former California University of Pennsylvania assistant football coach accused of sending sexually explicit messages to two South Fayette teenage boys waived his case to trial.
Patrick I. Onesko, 27, of 125 Penncraft Road, East Millsboro, waived felony charges of unlawful contact with a minor, criminal solicitation of a juvenile and two counts of corruption of a minor. One felony charge of unlawful contact with a minor was withdrawn by prosecutors before his May 1 preliminary hearing with District Judge Maureen McGraw-Desmet of South Fayette.
Onesko’s attorney, Stephen Misko, said they waived most of the charges because the evidence would be redundant during trial and to “save the minors from testifying.”
Onesko is accused of attempting to initiate sexual contact with two 15-year-old boys.
The investigation began Feb. 6 when a South Fayette resident came to township police to report that his son received sexually explicit messages from a man using Snapchat, a popular social media cell phone app. Police said a photo of Onesko was seen in some of the conversations from a person identified as “Coach O.”
Investigators searched Onesko’s parents’ South Fayette home, confiscating a computer and cell phone.
South Fayette police charged Onesko March 14 and he has been free on $25,000 unsecured bond.
Misko said investigators have records of the Snapchat conversations, although he has not had time to review them.
“Certainly, he’s troubled by it,” Misko said of the charges. “No one wants to be under the scrutiny of these charges.”
However, he said there was another investigation into Onesko, although he said there was “no validity” to that case. He declined to discuss it further. Mike Manko, the spokesman for the Allegheny County district attorney’s office, could not be reached for comment Monday.
Onesko declined to comment as he left the magistrate’s office with his parents.
Onesko, who coached at South Fayette from 2009 to 2014, most recently worked as a part-time assistant football coach at Cal U. for about a year and was a volunteer with the athletic department prior to that.
Cal U. spokeswoman Christine Kindl said Onesko was terminated “shortly after the accusations came to light.”
South Fayette School District officials did not return a phone call.
Onesko is scheduled for a formal arraignment June 15 at the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh.