Teacher accused of masturbating in cemetery, park in Pennsylvania – NBC10 Philadelphia

Warning: The details of this story are graphic and may be disturbing to some readers.

A Pennsylvania elementary school teacher is accused of masturbating in public at a Montgomery County cemetery in March and at a Bucks County park in June.

On March 3, 2024, shortly before 6:00 p.m., a report of a man exposing himself to people was received at Whitemarsh Cemetery on the 1100 block of Limekiln Pike in Horsham Township, Pennsylvania.

When police arrived they were met by witnesses who said they were walking their dog in the cemetery when they noticed a man – later identified as 47-year-old Matthew Gagat, from Horsham – standing by a headstone in the garden.

Witnesses said they initially thought the man was urinating but later became aware he was masturbating, the complaint said.

The witnesses said Gagat then began walking toward them while “helicoptering his penis,” investigators said. The witnesses said they continued walking and then walked back to their vehicle a short time later. They then saw Gagat masturbating behind a woman in the same area while she looked at her phone, according to the complaint. The witnesses then called police.

Officers then found and confronted Gagat, who claimed he was urinating near a tree and walking through the cemetery to “clear his mind,” according to the complaint. The witnesses then repeated their previous accusations against Gagat, who was then facing charges of indecent exposure, public lewdness and disorderly conduct. He was not required to post bail at the time because he was facing misdemeanor charges.

In the criminal complaint, an officer involved in the investigation stated that police had previously had contact with Gagat, but he did not specify what that previous incident entailed.

Gagat was also charged in connection with another incident that occurred in Bucks County in June, investigators said.

On June 27, 2024, at approximately 9:00 p.m., police responded to the area of ​​Lenape Park in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. They were met by a witness who said she was near a cabin in the park when she saw a man across the creek from the Sellersville Armory who appeared to be touching himself.

The woman told police that the man, who they later identified as Gagat, was masturbating while he stared at her from across the river. Police found Gagat and took him into custody. He was again fined for public indecency.

The summonses against Gagat in connection with the March incident in Horsham Township were withdrawn after the case was transferred to the Court of Common Pleas on June 21, 2024.

Gagat was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, July 23, in connection with the June incident in Sellersville, but the case was continued. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in that case on August 6, 2024.

Court documents do not indicate that Gagat had a legal representative who could speak on his behalf.

Gagat is a fifth-grade teacher at Lynnewood Elementary School in Havertown, Pennsylvania. Haverford Township School District Principal Maureen Reusche sent a letter to parents on July 23, saying the district did not learn of the allegations against Gagat until July 22.

“First and foremost, we understand and share the concern this news causes, and the desire for more information and a meaningful response from the school district,” Reusche wrote. “We will do our utmost to provide as much accurate information, context, and support as quickly as possible.”

Resources for victims of sexual violence are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.