Police said the case now includes 161 felony counts and 16 misdemeanor counts tied to allegations involving minors in Montgomery and Bucks counties.
AMBLER, PA — An Ambler man arrested in March in a child sexual abuse case was arrested again June 2 after investigators identified eight more minor victims, Abington Township police said.
Deren Thach, 38, is now charged with 161 felony counts and 16 misdemeanor counts, including rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, corruption of minors, statutory sexual assault, indecent assault, trafficking in individuals and possession of child sexual assault material. Police said the case began in Abington Township and widened into Montgomery and Bucks counties as detectives reviewed digital evidence and interviewed victims.
The investigation began in December 2025, when Abington police received information that a man was soliciting a minor girl for sexual acts and sexually explicit photos and videos in the Willow Grove section of the township. Police said the investigation led them to Thach and to other minor female victims. On March 6, officers served a search warrant at Thach’s apartment in Ambler, where they seized digital evidence for forensic review. Based on that evidence, police filed initial felony charges accusing him of sexual abuse of children, corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor. Thach turned himself in March 12 and was arraigned by District Judge Jodi Griffis, who set bail at $1 million cash.
After the first arrest, detectives continued reviewing evidence and said they identified eight additional minor victims. Police said Thach was arrested again June 2 at his residence in the Ambler section of Lower Gwynedd Township. He was arraigned June 3 by District Judge Juanita Price, who again set bail at $1 million cash. Abington Township Police Deputy Chief Ed Quinn said investigators believe Thach contacted minors through social media, including Snapchat, and offered money, drugs and alcohol in exchange for sexual acts and explicit photos. Quinn said the conduct alleged in the case was “disgusting.” Police said the youngest victim identified in the criminal complaint was 14.
Investigators said the allegations include grooming behavior and payments to minors. Reporting based on court records said police found images and videos on a phone seized during the search and later identified nine juvenile victims in the phone’s contents. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 17, according to those records. Police said the material included nude images and, in some cases, sexual acts. Investigators also said payment records showed thousands of dollars in transfers, with some payments confirmed as going to minors. Warwick Township police said they worked with Abington police, schools, Homeland Security Investigations and social media providers as part of the wider review.
The case now involves several agencies, including the Abington Township Police Department, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, the Warwick Township Police Department and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office. Lower Gwynedd Township police and Ambler Borough police also assisted. Police said Thach did not have a job that gave him access to the victims. The new charges are allegations, and Thach is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. His attorney, Jeffrey Allen Sigman, said after the March arrest that Thach was not guilty of the charges and that the defense looked forward to court. No new defense statement was reported after the latest arrest.
The charges add a second track to a case that was already moving through court. Records reported by local outlets said the March case included four felony charges tied to the first known victim and that a formal arraignment was held May 20. A bail hearing in that earlier case was scheduled for June 22, and a pretrial conference was scheduled for July 15. The newer case is tied to the June arrest and the additional victims police said were identified after forensic analysis. A preliminary hearing on the new charges was scheduled for June 11 before Magisterial District Judge Suzan Leonard.
Neighbors on West Francis Avenue in Ambler said the second arrest startled the block. Cal Williams, a neighbor, said he saw Thach come out in handcuffs as police filled the street. “It’s upsetting,” Williams said. “He fooled me.” A relative told 6abc that Thach is innocent until proven guilty and described him as a loving father and caring person. Quinn said investigators remain concerned that more victims may exist, and he said additional information could affect both the investigation and the court case.
Thach remained in Montgomery County Prison on $1 million bail after the June 3 arraignment. The next major step in the case is the scheduled June 11 preliminary hearing on the new charges.
Author note: Last updated June 7, 2026.