New details: SEPTA police officer charged in child sexual exploitation case appears in court

PHILADELPHIA – Troubling new allegations have emerged against SEPTA Transit police officer, 43-year-old Brian Zenszer.

FOX 29 first reported this weekend that Zenser was arrested last week on charges of distributing child sexual abuse material.

On Tuesday, during a pretrial detention hearing in federal court, a judge ruled that he would remain in custody until trial — after considering what the government and Zenszer’s attorney argued.

The government said Zenszer admitted in his pre-arrest statement that he had viewed and distributed child abuse material at work — and that this had been happening for years.

They said he stated it happened while he was sitting next to his partner in the car, and that his partner had no idea.

The government stated, and court documents show, that Zenszer allegedly used “Kik” to distribute the images and video — including two children known to him — and created a second account to do so after his first one was closed.

Zenszer’s attorney — pointing to a transit police captain in the room — said the captain called him a “model officer” who was never disciplined in his 17 years of service.

She said Zenser is also a U.S. Coast Guard veteran.

She urged the judge to let Zenszer live with his parents — who were in court today — with limited access to devices and no contact with his wife, girlfriend or children.

Outside his listed address in Bucks County, neighbors said Tuesday they saw the FBI at the house last week but thought it was related to his police duties.

Joe Zielinski, a neighbor, said, “That’s a shocker, one of the nicest neighbors you’d want.” Another comment from Zielinski followed: “He would just do anything for you, he even caught a criminal breaking into a house one night.”

Pete Murphy, an acquaintance, also expressed disbelief: “I hate it, wait until I tell my kids. God, you never know.”

In a statement last weekend, a SEPTA spokesperson said they are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and urgency and said there are no allegations of criminal conduct related to his work with SEPTA’s transit police.

FOX 29 reached out again Tuesday and SEPTA said they do not have an updated statement, only that they will continue to cooperate with the FBI.

The president of the Fraternal Order of Transit Police told FOX 29’s Kelly Rule that they have not heard what was discussed in court today – so they cannot comment further at this time.