State Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-10, whose district includes the Slippery Rock area, is being called on to resign in the wake of disturbing videos that have surfaced.

Editor note: This article was updated Thursday evening to include comments from a video response about the situation that state Rep. Aaron Bernstine posted on Twitter and Facebook.Calls for the resignation of state Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-10th, have followed the release of the legislator engaging in inappropriate conversations and behavior with young boys in Snapchat video clips — actions he said Thursday were a joke.Bernstine, 36, who is running for reelection, told USA Today that he regretted making the videos and condemned his political opponents — who he did not name — for the release of the footage.Bernstine also posted a video around 1:30 p.m. Thursday on Twitter in which he said the videos were made while vacationing with other parents and children, and that the jokes went “way too far.”Bernstine is seeking his third two-year term Nov. 3. His district includes Slippery Rock borough and township in Butler County and parts of Beaver and Lawrence counties.The videos, which do not show Bernstine's face, include:• Bernstine asking his son to puff on a lit cigar and instructing the boy to “hit it harder” and “breathe in,” after which a woman's voice is heard saying “no”• Bernstine asking his son what the two would look for on a trip to Nashville in which the boy whispers a reply using a vulgar name for the female anatomy• Bernstine asking an unidentified young boy who appears to be 10 or 11 years old to play a game in which the player decides which celebrity he'd like to kill, marry or have sex with, in which a vulgarity was used to describe the latter act• Bernstine telling two unidentified young boys, one of whom calls Bernstine “a meanie,” that “they make homes for kids like y'all.”• A Snapchat post in which Bernstine says “I keep calling this kid “jerry” for jerry (sic) Lewis kids” with two laughing emojis. That post also includes Bernstine's statement that he's away from home and “nobody knows who the (expletive) I am.”Reaction to videosThe video clips and post have raised the ire of the Butler County Democratic Committee, Bernstine' opponents in next month's election and even the state Republican party.Johnathan Peffer, who is running against Bernstine under the United Party banner, was incensed by Bernstine's behavior on Thursday.“We need an apology from him,” Peffer said. “I want his resignation, and I would go as far as to say that I would like to see him volunteer at one of what he calls 'homes for these kids,' Peffer said. “It's just appalling to me.”Butler County Republican Committee Chairman Al Lindsay could not be reached for comment by phone or email Thursday.Peffer also dismissed the statement released by Bernstine to USA Today after the videos became public.“Unfortunately, that's politics today,” Peffer said. “They redirect and deflect to keep the attention off of themselves.”Peffer also suggested that Bernstine uses his young son not for political gain, but for entertainment.“Child abuse on any level is completely unacceptable,” Peffer said.He added that he does not want Bernstine representing him in Harrisburg if he is adopting a persona and not being himself in the 10th District, as Bernstine suggested in the Snapchat post.“Not only did he get to be himself (in the controversial video clips), but he videotaped it because he is so proud of it,” Peffer said.He said he anticipates his opponent owning his mistakes in the coming days and tendering his resignation as a state representative.Bernstine's other opponent for the 10th District, Democrat Kolbe Cole of Beaver Falls, also called for the incumbent's resignation after reading an article on the video clips.“While I have seen many things from my opponent in the past that have made me question his ability to lead our district, I have now seen enough to question his ability to be responsible for the wellbeing of his own child,” Cole said.She called Bernstine's actions “extremely offensive.”Cole added that while Bernstine blames his opponents and their supporters for exploiting his personal life for political gain, she said she had no knowledge of the video clips outside of allegations on social media that they existed.“However, this article provides clear and definitive evidence against him and this goes much deeper than politics,” Cole said in her statement.Catherine Lalonde, chairwoman of the county Democratic Committee, also was repulsed by the video clips.“The Butler County Democratic Committee demands the resignation of State Rep. Aaron Bernstine, who is clearly unfit to lead one 5-year-old, let alone a legislative district of more than 700,000 people,” said a news release from the committee on Thursday.The news release also calls for Bernstine to clarify what he meant by “Jerry Lewis' kids” in the Snapchat post.“It's all publicly accessible, the casually damaging words of this self-described family man,” the news release said. “The Snapchat account to which he posted these videos has now been deleted. What haven't we heard?”The release went on to say Bernstine's behavior does not convey the moral leadership the residents of the 10th legislative district deserve.“Aaron Bernstine has no business making any decisions that affect children, women or any citizen of the 10th District,” the committee said. “He must resign immediately.”Even Bernstine's fellow Republicans in Harrisburg are calling for his ouster.The leadership of the Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus issued the following statement Thursday.“As parents and fellow legislators, we are disgusted by Rep. Bernstine's conduct,” said the statement, which came from the House GOP News and State House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-17th. “In order to take the time necessary to focus on his family and repair his relationships, we call on Rep. Bernstine to immediately resign.”Bernstine did not return calls from the Eagle on Thursday for this report.On a video he released on Twitter and Facebook on Thursday, Bernstine apologized for his behavior in the videos, but said the voters will decide Nov. 3 who they want to represent them in the 10th District.“I hope that I can count on your support and I'll continue to work hard to earn and gain your trust,” Bernstine said.