Delco optician forced patients to perform sexual favors for free glasses, police say

A Glenolden man working at optician offices in Folcroft and Collingdale forced patients to engage in sex acts with him in exchange for free glasses, police said.

Brian Steiner, 40, told one victim that she had “no choice but” to perform oral sex on him after locking her in an examination room in 2023, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.

Steiner has been charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, theft, and related crimes for the incidents, the most recent of which took place in November. He was released after posting $25,000 cash bail.

There was no indication that Steiner had hired an attorney, and efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.

Folcroft police learned of the assaults in June 2023, when the owner of Philly Vision Care on Delmar Drive contacted them to report that Steiner was soliciting the sex acts and had cost the business between $2,500 and $3,500, the affidavit said.

Steiner, in an interview with police, admitted to trading sexual favors for free merchandise or store discounts with as many as 15 people, seven of whom he identified to the investigators.

Detectives contacted three of those people, including the woman Steiner had allegedly locked in the examination room. She said that after that incident, Steiner continued to contact her, asking to see her again.

Another alleged victim said Steiner had approached him in Philly Vision Care, telling him that he was married and had kids but “was looking for a boyfriend,” the affidavit said. Steiner offered to give the man Christian Dior glasses, valued between $400 and $500, if he allowed Steiner to perform oral sex on him.

The man agreed, and Steiner gave him the glasses after the two had sexual contact in an examination room. Like the female alleged victim, the man told police Steiner contacted him afterward and asked him to come back to the store.

Another man told police that Steiner offered to give him his $60 contact lenses for free if he could see his penis and perform oral sex on the man, according to the affidavit. The man refused and left the store.

As police continued to investigate the case, they received notice in November from nearby Collingdale that Steiner had begun working at Collingdale Vision Center on MacDade Boulevard, and had assaulted a customer there.

The victim in that case said Steiner had groped him and given him a free pair of glasses after offering to perform oral sex on the man, the affidavit said. Steiner told the man that he had done so before for customers.

Collingdale officers questioned Steiner, who admitted to touching the man, claiming that the two had been flirting in the store.

Court records show Steiner was convicted of indecent exposure and corruption of minors in 2009 and was sentenced to a year of probation. The circumstances of that case were not immediately clear.

Steiner is scheduled to appear in district court for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.