State police charged a member of a prominent Chester County family with sexually abusing three teenage boys.

John Charles Ware, 45, of Oxford, who works at his family's philanthropic Oxford Foundation, surrendered Aug. 18 and was committed to Chester County Prison on 200 related counts involving the boys, ages 13-16.

A Chester County Prison employee said Saturday that Ware is no longer being held there. She said she could not confirm that he had been released on reduced bail (initially set at $5 million cash) with an electronic monitor, as his attorney, Christian J. Hoey, had requested.

State police at Avondale said they had no information available Saturday, and a call Saturday to Hoey was not returned.

Charges against Ware include involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.

Most of the alleged incidents are said to have taken place between January 2005 and July 2010 at Ware's homes in East Nottingham and West Nottingham townships. Some are said to have occurred on a overseas trip Ware took with one of the boys.

Ware's attorney told the judge his client was confronted by the parents of two of the boys a month before his arrest, and he attempted suicide a few days later, The Daily Local News, West Chester, reported.

The paper also reported that Hoey told Judge Phyllis Streitel that Ware would waive his preliminary hearing (set for Aug. 31) to spare the alleged victims from having to testify in court.

The Chester County Press, West Grove, reported that Ware owns a graphic arts business, Momentum Designs, and formerly taught art part time in the Oxford Area School District. He was also reported to be active in Democratic politics and Oxford civic groups.

The accused is the grandson of the late John H. Ware III, who was a state senator and congressman, and executive with Penn Fuel and American Water Works Co. He is the son of John H. Ware IV, a former Oxford Borough Council member.