Centre County Man Recorded Himself Sexually Abusing Children, Police Say

A Centre County man was arrested Monday night after police said he filmed and photographed himself sexually abusing children.

Samuel C. Friday, 67, of Taylor Township, is charged with 10 felony counts of child sexual abuse material. A court docket noted that “charges related to physical acts” are pending.

State police at Rockview on Nov. 13 received multiple Childline referrals alleging that Friday “paid juveniles to perform various sexual acts with him” and recorded the abuse, according to an affidavit of probable cause. After conducting an interview at the Children’s Advocacy Center on Monday, troopers executed a search warrant on Friday’s residence.

The search uncovered “numerous” photos and videos of known children posing and performing sexual acts on Friday, police wrote. Those included Friday engaged in sexual intercourse with a juvenile female, as well as him “communicating with two juveniles while recording them in partial and full states of nudity,” according to the affidavit.

One file alone contained more than 200 photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse, police wrote.

A trooper also found evidence of two other men performing sexual acts on a juvenile, according to the affidavit, though it was not clear if the identity of the child was known to police or if Friday was involved in the recording.

During an interview with police, Friday admitted to taking nude photographs of a juvenile stepping out of the shower and that he had “some sexual involvement” with the same girl, according to the affidavit. He “indicated that the juvenile female requested sexual acts from him possibly in exchange for money,” police wrote.

Friday was arraigned on Tuesday morning by District Judge Casey McClain, who denied bail, citing the pending charges and victims fearing retaliation. He is jailed at the Centre County Correctional Facility.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 26.