Field of Screams, an agrotourism horror attraction in Mountville, PA, was found to have allowed a 62-year-old man who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of indecent exposure and corruption of minors in 2011 to volunteer at the scare attraction for three seasons alongside minors.
An investigative article by Spotlight PA found Field of Screams was unaware of Chris Rohrbaugh’s previous convictions for which he served five years probation. Field of Screams’ background check provider, Topchecked, did not find the charges on Rohrbaugh’s record because, according to a Field of Screams spokesperson, their system “limits its search for misdemeanor conviction records for employees and volunteers to seven years to comply with federal and state employment laws.”
Pennsylvania has no such laws and Rohrbaugh’s convictions would have prevented him from obtaining certain child abuse clearances, which are required in workplaces with minors.
Field of Screams was notified by an employee in 2023 of Rohrbaugh’s criminal history, however, their third-party background check service did not find the conviction. It was only after checking with local law enforcement that Field of Screams was made aware of his charges.
“Upon hearing this information from an unofficial source, Field of Screams contacted its third-party employee background check vendor to verify the information. The vendor verified that their background check for Mr. Rohrbaugh did not show a conviction,” a Field of Screams statement said. “Field of Screams leadership then contacted local law enforcement, who conducted their own search and confirmed that Mr. Rohrbaugh had been convicted of misdemeanor indecent exposure and corruption of minors in 2011.”
Field of Screams continued to allow Rohrbaugh to volunteer in 2024.
“The decision was made to allow Mr. Rohrbaugh to rejoin the volunteer staff in 2024, with a recognition that he had no complaints against him while on staff at Field of Screams,” said the statement. “He had no criminal convictions of any kind since 2011, and the company continues to have robust safety and security protocols in place.”
Field of Screams added that they would’ve been liable for violating anti-discrimination laws had they fired an employee for a conviction more than a decade old.
