Timothy James Shay, 49, of Plumstead Township, was arraigned on Feb. 14 on 8 child sex crime offenses. (Credit: Bucks County District Attorney)
A piano instructor residing in Plumstead Township has pleaded no contest to 36 felony and misdemeanor child pornography-related offenses dating back more than 20 years and faces sentencing after the new year.
Timothy James Shay, 49, of the 4300 block of Point Pleasant Pike, residing near Gayman Elementary, Groveland Elementary and Tohickon Middle School, was originally charged in February 2025 with the following offenses:
A no contest plea, or nolo contendere, means a defendant does not dispute the charges, but does not admit guilt. By pleading no contest, Shay accepts the consequences of a conviction without admitting wrongdoing.
Shay is accused of assaulting four men and inappropriately massaging them during piano lessons more than 20 years ago in Langhorne, Bucks County
Investigators strongly believed there were other victims had asked for them to come forward.
Anyone with information can contact Middletown Township Detective John Beck at (215) 750-3872.
Shay remains at Bucks County jail on 10% of $1 million cash bail.
“We are here yet again to report the arrest of an individual where the allegations involve facts that this individual preyed upon children,” District Attorney Jen Schorn said at a news conference announcing Shay’s arrest last year. “What’s particularly concerning about this case is the allegations involve abuse that spanned several years, having began over 20 years ago.”
The youngest victim was just five years old when the abuse occurred, Schorn said.
A joint investigation by the Middletown Township Police Department and the Newtown Township Police Department began in February 2025 when police received a report of suspected child sexual abuse that occurred at a residence in Langhorne, Middletown Township.
Police allege the victim reported that the sexual abuse happened between the years of 1998 and 2003 when the victim was a juvenile and the defendant was his private piano instructor.
The lessons occurred at the victim’s residence, and the abuse progressed over the years, police said. Shay is accused of massaging the victim’s wrists, forearms, chest, abdomen and pubic area, Schorn said.
The victim said the inappropriate contact happened between 30 and 50 times, Schorn said. Shay allegedly told the victim to never tell anyone about the warmups.
Detectives spoke to a second victim from Langhorne, Middletown Township, who also had the defendant as a piano instructor between 1998 and 2003, when the victim was a juvenile, investigators said.
The victim said the defendant massaged him, claiming it would help with playing the piano, and the massages occurred three to five times, police said.
A third victim told police he had the defendant as a piano instructor in Newtown Township in the late 1990s/early 2000s when the victim was prepubescent, authorities said. During the first few lessons, the defendant would massage the victim’s back and during later lessons, he massaged other areas of the victim’s body, police said.
A fourth victim reported being eight years old when he had the defendant as a piano instructor in Newtown Township, authorities said. The victim told police the defendant would massage the victim’s inner and upper thighs, claiming it would help relieve tension in the area.
“We praise all of the victims for disclosing their abuse and we praise the mandated reporter who initially provided the CyberTip to Detective Beck and the work that the law enforcement on this case has done," Schorn said. "That is why Bucks County remains a safe community. We will not abide by sex offenders using our children for their own deviate sexual gratification. It’s the work of the men and women behind me that provides that assurance that we will seek out every predator and hold them accountable.”
Middletown Township Police Police Chief Joseph Bartorilla said in February the arrest "is an important step forward but our work is not done."
"If there are any other victims, no matter how long ago these crimes took place or where they occurred, we want to hear from you," he said. "Your voice matters. You will remain anonymous throughout the process and we will do everything in our power to support you and pursue justice on your behalf. Given the pattern of abuse we’ve uncovered, we strongly believe there may be other victims."
This case was investigated by Middletown Township Detective John Beck and Newtown Township Detective Nicholas Moffet and is assigned for prosecution to Chief Deputy District Attorney Kristin M. McElroy and First Assistant District Attorney David E. O’Beirne.
Shay is scheduled for sentencing in Bucks County Common Pleas Court on Jan. 28, 2026.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
