Houck Bail Doubled To $100K
Former Husson professor faces 10 felony counts after court hearing in Penobscot County.
By Riya Zhao ·
Judge Meghan Szylvian doubled the cash bail for Jonathan Houck to $100,000 on Monday afternoon. The former Husson University associate professor appeared in Penobscot County court for the first time since his Friday arrest. Deputy District Attorney Chelsea Lynds requested the increase after presenting the case details to the judge.
Houck, 33, of Bangor, faces 10 felony charges. The indictment includes six counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and four counts of violations of privacy. He did not enter a plea because the charges are felonies. The case is scheduled to go before a grand jury, which will determine whether to indict him.
Police found child sexual abuse material on Houck’s phone during the investigation. Lynds stated there is no indication Houck produced the images. The material involved children as young as five years old.
Officers also discovered images of college women who did not know they were being recorded. Lynds said Houck, an exercise science professor and assistant cross country coach, used his position to have students undress and weigh themselves. A hidden camera recorded the process while the students were in states of undress.
A student posted a TikTok video on Thursday describing similar events in a fall 2025 class. She said she undressed to her bra and underwear to weigh herself in a private area. She then got dressed and returned to class, unaware of the recording device.
Lynds described the defendant as having a sexual interest in children and a deviant criminal sexual interest in adults. She noted he used his position of trust to create opportunities to capture students. Houck’s lawyer for the day did not argue against the bail amount. He has retained a separate attorney who will address bail conditions at a later hearing.
Houck is currently held in the Penobscot County Jail. His bail conditions include no contact with any children. He must also avoid contact with current or former Husson students. If he posts bail, he cannot live within five miles of a school and cannot go on the campus.
