School van driver charged with sexually assaulting teenager outside Northampton County school

A former Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 van driver in Northampton County was charged Wednesday with buying a student a cellphone for sexual messages and later sexually assaulting her outside Easton Area High School.

Dean T. D’Amico, 64, of Upper Mount Bethel Township was arrested Wednesday at his home on accusations of institutional sexual assault of a student, indecent assault without consent, corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor.

He was arraigned by District Justice Susan Hutnik of Palmer Township and sent to Northampton County Prison under $250,000 bail. Palmer Township police said they have been investigating D’Amico since January, after other law enforcement notified them about the matter. They obtained a warrant Tuesday to arrest D’Amico.

Police said D’Amico bought and provided a cellphone to the student at the beginning of the 2022 school year. The 16-year-old girl, who attends an IU behavioral-support class at Easton Area High School, later told authorities numerous messages on the phone were sexual in nature.

IU 20 solicitor John E. Freund said authorities notified IU officials of the sexual incident. He also said while the police investigation unfolded, D’Amico had been on suspension pending possible termination for failing a random drug test in violation of IU policy. He resigned in early January as an IU employee, Freund said.

Investigators determined no other children were involved in an inappropriate relationship with D’Amico, and no other IU staff knew of D’Amico’s alleged actions, according to Freund.

“The safety of the students is their No. 1 priority and responded to the situation extremely thoroughly,” he said.

Colonial IU 20, which is based in Palmer, provides educational support to schools in Northampton, Monroe and Pike counties.