Douglas Shade at Broad Street Grind in Souderton Monday, Feb. 27., 2017. Photo by Media News Group.
Douglas Phillip Shade, of Lower Salford, is accused of recording, participating in, and selling the child pornography via Telegram.
A former Souderton Borough coffeehouse entrepreneur charged by Lower Salford Township Police with 85 felonies and 10 misdemeanors of child sex offenses – including numerous counts of aggravated indecent assault of a child, corruption of minors, indecent assault of a child under 13, and possession of child sexual abuse materials – had a pre-trial hearing rescheduled to March in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.
Douglas Phillip Shade, 44, of Main Street, Lower Salford, was originally scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on Jan. 23, but will now go before Common Pleas Judge Steve T. O’Neill on March 4. Shade is a former co-owner of Broad Street Grind, and currently co-owned by Shade's parents.
Shade is accused of recording, participating in, and selling of child sexual abuse material via the Telegram app, authorities allege in an affidavit. The offenses allegedly occurred at an apartment in Lower Salford Township in July 2024.
According to county court records, Shade’s Harleysville attorney, Vincent Petersen, was denied a motion on Jan. 15 by Common Pleas Judge Risa Vetri Ferman for modification of bail.
Court records show Shade posted 10% of $50,000 cash bail in August. Shade’s attorney was served with bail forfeiture paperwork in November, according to court records. Common Pleas Judge Thomas M. DelRicci reinstated Shade’s previous bail conditions in December, according to court records. Petersen then filed for the motion to modify bail a few days later.
Shade is charged with 33 felony counts of possession of child pornography/CSAM, according to charging documents.
Shade is also charged with the following felonies, at 10 counts each:
He is charged with six felony counts of knowingly depicting on a computer or phone a minor engaged in a sex act on photograph or film. The final 10 charges are for misdemeanor Indecent assault on a person less than 13 years of age, according to court records.
On July 25, 2024, Lower Salford authorities investigated a report of sexual assault involving a girl under 13 years of age on at least 10 occasions, according to the affidavit. Authorities allege Shade recorded his encounters on his cellphone, while kissing and indecently assaulting the girl.
Once authorities obtained a search warrant for Shade’s personal and work phones, they were able to download a large amount of child sexual abuse material, including pictures and videos of juveniles under 18 in various stages of undress and performing sexual acts, according to the affidavit.
All in all, investigators found 20 videos of CSAM, three of which included Shade, recorded in May 2024, police said.
Further examination of Shade’s phone located a large amount of photos of CSAM, including 891 photos of children under 13 engaged in sexual acts; 499 photos of children between 13 and 18 engaged in illicit acts; 318 photos of nude juveniles; 12 bondage photographs; and 11 photos of bestiality, according to the criminal complaint.
Authorities said the Telegram app is often used to produce and distribute CSAM.
Shade departs Broad Street Grind in 2023
Shade was a former partner of a six-owner stake in Broad Street Grind, founded in 2016. When it opened at the historic Liberty Hall property at 117 E. Broad St. in 2017, it had six co-owners: Chad and Monica Gehman, Franconia Township residents Phillip and Heather Shade, and their son, Doug, and his wife.
Broad Street Grind is the storefront face for Liberty Hall Coffee LLC, which is overseen by Heather Shade as president. The LLC is registered to the elder Shade’s Berkshire Drive residence.Liberty Hall Coffee LLC has a sister company called Liberty Hall Roasters LLC.
The parent LLC has been operating for about nine years, and is estimating between $245,277 and $333,000 in annual revenue, per online business records.
In November 2024, Liberty Hall Coffee LLC and Liberty Hall Roasters LLC announced Pamela Nalbach and Zachary Taylor became partners of each company, respectively. Nalbach was named vice president of Liberty Hall Coffee LLC, doing business as Broad Street Grind. Taylor is now vice president of Liberty Hall Roasters LLC.
Nalbach, a graduate of the International Culinary Academy in Pittsburgh, joined Broad Street Grind in 2017 as executive chef and took over as general manager in 2021. She oversees daily operations and the catering business.
Taylor, a former employee at One Village Coffee and Backyard Beans, joined Liberty Hall Coffee LLC as a consultant in 2022 and then full time in 2023 as Director of Coffee and Roasting.
Social media users support a boycott, before Broad Street Grind steps in
Facebook users took to social media to call for a boycott of the business; the fervor and backlash in Shade’s case made an article written on the business opening in 2017 the top story over the past week on The Reporter Online.
Retired home security systems sales director and Reformed Episcopal Church-educated Phillip Shade, in his role as treasurer of Broad Street Grind, released a statement on the business’s Facebook page Sunday at 9 a.m.
In the statement, Phillip, a former deacon and assistant to the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Souderton, spoke on the allegations against his son, the family’s stance, and Broad Street Grind:
“We want to take this time to address you're warranted concerns as it relates to criminal allegations made toward a former business partner, and a family member of the founding partners.
In 2023, Douglas Shade’s minority shares in the business were purchased, as he had not been actively involved in the operations of the business for several years. When news of these criminal charges were brought to our attention several months ago, we were deeply grieved and shocked.
We want to make clear that none of the owners condone nor support the alleged criminal behavior which has come to light in subsequent months. The Shade family is completely devastated and more what has transpired.
Douglas Shade was removed from this company in 2023. Because this is an ongoing and active criminal investigation, we were advised not to speak publicly should one of us be called as a witness.
We are sorry if you feel blindsided or betrayed by the reports which were circulated today which unfortunately included substantially false and incorrect information about the broad St. grind. This news was unprecedented on a personal and professional level, and we will continue to move forward with transparency and understanding.”
When Broad Street Grind opened, it poised itself as a place for the community to gather, with special events like live music and meeting room accessibility for groups, businesses or reading groups, like the St. Peter’s Anglican Church Bible study sessions. Its meeting space offers a 25-person capacity and can be booked at 215-723-8220. Broad Street Grind also does catering.
“Broad Street Grind knows how important that first cup of coffee or tea is to their customers. They specialize in unique coffees and teas, as well as a full bistro which is open for breakfast and lunch six days a week ... with delivery, pick-up, and curbside service, as well as catering onsite and off-site,” stated an article on Valley Forge’s tourism website.
Its menu features fresh-made American Fusion, with locally-sourced produce and cage-free eggs. There are no processed, pre-packaged or frozen foods with preservatives at the coffeehouse. It offers specialty curated and roasted whole bean coffees via in person or subscription, with fans as far as Wyoming.
Other food offerings include homemade scones, muffins, cakes, brownies, and syrups. In the summer, they sell vanilla honey lavender, made from food-grade local lavender and peppermint. The menu is updated every six months to keep customers aware of seasonal tastes.
Broad Street Grind is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.