Former Lewisburg ER Nurse Charged in Federal Child Exploitation Conspiracy

Rocco Scolamacchia Jr., a 49-year-old Lewisburg man who worked as an emergency-room nurse at WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital, faces a federal conspiracy charge alleging he spent more than three years trading child sexual abuse material through an online group called "The Den of Depravity," arranged to meet an undercover federal agent about sexual access to a pre-teen foster daughter, and offered to supply hospital needles to drug-using co-conspirators.

The indictment was filed by the FBI in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on March 11, with U.S. Magistrate Judge Craig M. Straw approving the complaint the same day. Scolamacchia faces one count of conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography, carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a five-year mandatory minimum, supervised release ranging from five years to life, and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Harrell and David Metcalf wrote in court documents that Scolamacchia's position at Evangelical Community Hospital compounded the concern around his alleged conduct. "At the time of his arrest, the defendant was employed as an emergency room nurse at Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, with access to a vulnerable population, including children who may need urgent medical attention," they wrote.

The prosecutors further alleged that Scolamacchia leveraged that professional position directly within the conspiracy. "While communicating with The Den of Depravity and its founders, the defendant also discussed his willingness to abuse his employment position, offering to provide 'sterile needles' from the hospital to the group's founders, who he had met in person and who were active drug users," Harrell and Metcalf wrote.

According to court documents, Scolamacchia joined The Den of Depravity, where members traded graphic images and videos of children being sexually abused and openly discussed their interest in exploiting minors. Beyond the online activity, he allegedly met with others in person to build a pedophile network and arranged to meet with an undercover federal agent posing as a woman who would allow him to have sexual encounters with a pre-teen foster daughter.

The case grew out of a separate federal investigation into a couple from Coatesville, identified in court documents only as Cooperating Defendant and Defendant 2. That probe led investigators to The Den of Depravity and, ultimately, to Scolamacchia.

WellSpan confirmed his termination after the charges became public. "The safety of our patients is our top priority. This individual has been terminated from our organization, and this matter is being handled by law enforcement," WellSpan officials said.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. No arraignment date, bail status, or defense representation has been disclosed in court filings available as of publication.