Costas Alestas Arrested: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania School Official Charged with Sexual Assault on Student

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (WPVI) — A school employee who was employed by the Bethlehem Police Department is facing multiple charges, all related to alleged sexual offenses against two young girls.

Costas Alestas, 43, was fired from the police department, where he worked as a school resource officer for six years.

Alestas was also assigned to East Hills Middle School, where he was a football coach and was employed by the school district. The district announced he was placed on administrative leave.

Both students attend school.

A school employee notified police on May 1 that Alestas was allegedly grooming a 14-year-old student.

According to a probable cause affidavit, he told the victim that “he found her attractive and that he had strong romantic feelings for her.”

According to police, the sexual encounters occurred on and off school grounds.

The affidavit states that Alestas and the victim kissed in his office.

His text messages with the girl were discovered by her mother in February, but he found other ways to communicate with the teenager.

Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott said the parent who made the discovery may not have known who the sender was.

“There was fraudulent behavior that attempted to disguise who the text messages came from,” Kott said.

According to police, Alestas had a sexual encounter with the same student during a school dance at school.

“One of the incidents occurred at school at a school dance while Alestas was on duty and wearing a police uniform,” Capt. Nicholas Lechman of the Bethlehem police said during an afternoon news conference.

Police say Alestas faces charges of sexual assault, institutional sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and other related offenses.

While authorities were investigating the first case, they found a disturbing video of an 11-year-old student on Alestas’ phone.

Captain Lechman said the video was taken during school hours in middle school.

“It showed the private parts of a second victim on the victim’s outer clothing. It was recorded without the victim’s knowledge,” Lechman explained.

Police are calling the video an “upskirt video.” They fear there could be more victims and say the investigation is ongoing.

Late Wednesday, the Bethlehem Area School District released this statement:

“The Bethlehem Area School District became aware of allegations involving Officer Alestas on Monday afternoon, April 29, 2024, when a student shared information with his guidance counselor. Following district protocols, the guidance counselor immediately notified school officials and contacted Childline to begin an investigation. The next day, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, the counselor also filed a CY47 report with Northampton County Children and Youth to continue the investigation.

On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, the District notified Bethlehem Police of the reported allegations and referral to children and youth. The District and Bethlehem Police Department worked together to place Officer Alestas on administrative leave from both organizations. The district has disabled the officer’s access to all district resources. The district immediately shared all reported information with Bethlehem Police Department investigators.