A professional counseling center in Quakertown Borough announced it is permanently closing its 523 W. Broad St. location in the wake of its family counselor and program director being charged with secretly recording females in his office via covert, fake charging blocks.
According to its website, Empower Life Coaching & Counseling LLC is urging clients of Jonathan Elliot Moyer, 54, who may have been affected by his actions to contact Bucks County authorities.
“We understand this news is disturbing for everyone, and we are working on reaching out to current clients one-on-one,” stated the message. “We will continue to assist those who need help processing the recent event, as we ourselves work on dealing with our own pain and hurt due to his actions.”
According to investigators, Moyer was listed as the office’s program director, working out of both the Berks County and Quakertown offices. His areas of practice were listed as drug and alcohol, anxiety, parent-child interaction, and family sessions, police said.
Authorities said they believe at least four victims were secretly recorded.
The center said Moyer’s alleged actions were an isolated event that occurred over the past few months.
“We are all in shock about his actions, and want to make everyone aware that this was an act of only one individual,” said the center. “Remaining staff, as well as clients, are potential victims.”
Moyer, of Alburtis, Lehigh County, was charged with one count each of interception of oral communications, possession of a device for interception of oral communications and possession of an instrument of crime, as well as six counts of invasion of privacy.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Bucks County Detectives at 215-348-6354 or Quakertown Police at 215-536-5002.
Investigators have been in contact with the Bucks County Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA) and will continue to work with them to ensure services are provided to victims. Anyone who needs their assistance is asked to call them at 800-675-6900.
This investigation developed quickly after a detective with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office received information on March 3, that an individual located an electronic storage device that contained video of a man, later identified as Moyer, setting up a recording device in his Quakertown office, investigators said.
The device also had several other videos that showed females using the bathroom, police said.
According to investigators, Moyer was listed as the office’s program director, working out of both the Berks County and Quakertown offices. His areas of practice were listed as drug and alcohol, anxiety, parent-child interaction, and family sessions, police said.
On the morning of March 4, detectives with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Quakertown Police Department spoke to the witness who found the micro-SD card and confirmed that Moyer was the individual in the video, which showed him setting up what appeared to be a hidden camera in the bathroom of the Quakertown office, direclty across from the toilet, police said.
Detectives confirmed the contents of the storage device, which contained videos of several females using the toilet, authorities allege. One of the individuals in a video had delicate facial features and may have been a juvenile female, authorities allege.
Based on these recordings, it appeared the females in the videos did not know they were being recorded, police said.
At 2:40 p.m. March 4, investigators conducted three simultaneous search warrants at Moyer’s offices in Berks County and Quakertown and Moyer’s residence in Alburtis. When detectives contacted Moyer at the Quakertown office, he attempted to use the bathroom but was denied, authorities said.
During the search, police located a black legitimate charging block and a key fob that was later discovered to be a covert digital video recorder/camera with a micro-SD card in Moyer’s possession, police said.
Inside the bathroom at the Quakertown office, police located a suspicious looking black USB charging block plugged into the outlet underneath the bathroom sink and directly across from the toilet. Upon closer examination, the charging block was discovered to be a covert recording device, investigators said.
When the face plate of the charging block was removed, it revealed a camera with a micro-SD card. At Moyer's residence, in the basement where he lived, police seized several items that included numerous covert charging block cameras like the one found in the Quakertown office bathroom, a covert key fob camera like the one Moyer had in his possession, covert pens, and numerous micro-SD cards and media storage devices, police said.
So far, after a review of the initial micro-SD card, investigators believe there are four separate victims recorded in secret.
However, investigators believe that additional victims and additional violations will be uncovered after an analysis of the numerous seized items, according to detectives.
The case remains under investigation by Bucks County Detective Phil Kulan and Quakertown Police Detective Ryan Naugle, with assistance from Berks County Detectives, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and the Horsham Township Police Department.
This case is assigned for prosecution to Chief Deputy District Attorney Kristin M. McElroy.
Empower Life Coaching & Counseling has an office in Bally, Berks County.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
