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  More Charges Filed against Music Teacher

By Sean Teehan
Cape Cod Times
September 30, 2011

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110930/NEWS/109300320

FALMOUTH — Graphic details of child sexual assault allegations against a former Hyannis church music director emerged Thursday during his arraignment hearing in Falmouth District Court.

Stephen B. Lindberg, the 54-year-old former music director of the Unity on Cape Cod church, was ordered held on $10,000 bail. He is accused of sexually abusing an underage vocal student.

Lindberg pleaded not guilty to six counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years old and three counts of statutory rape of a child, court records show.

"We emphatically deny these allegations," said Boston attorney William A. Korman of Rudolph Friedman LLP, who is representing Lindberg.

While arguing to have Lindberg's bail set at $10,000, Assistant District Attorney Kerry Whalen highlighted several alleged instances of child sexual abuse over the course of about three years.

The alleged victim, who was 14 years old when the sexual assault complaint was filed in August, told investigators the abuse occurred at Lindberg's Falmouth apartment, where he gave her private vocal lessons, Whalen said.

When the victim was 12 years old, Whalen said, Lindberg massaged her all over her body after she took off all her clothes on at least six different occasions. Lindberg also allegedly sexually assaulted the victim with his fingers three different times, and, once, took off his clothes so that she could touch him, Whalen said.

"He made a comment to her that she was so good at this at 12 years old," the assistant DA said.

A brief rumble arose in the courtroom during Whalen's presentation, sending a court officer toward the benches to quiet the audience. One woman, who had a verbal exchange with the court officer, left the room.

Lindberg, who lives in Marstons Mills, moved out of his Falmouth apartment during the course of the alleged abuse, but he continued to use it for vocal lessons, Whalen said.

Lindberg is already in custody for charges that he sexually abused a different 14-year-old student from late 2010 until June of this year in Barnstable. In that case, Lindberg is charged with 10 counts of statutory rape, one count of indecent assault and battery, one count of child endangerment, one count of violating a protective order, and two counts of indecent exposure, according to the Times' archives.

The Unity of Cape Cod church, where Lindberg worked as music director on a contract basis beginning in 2007, fired him immediately after learning of the allegations last month, said the Rev. Steve Cordry, minister of the church.

Lindberg's duties at the church were limited to playing the keyboards and singing during services, Cordry said in a phone interview with the Times on Thursday.

"He had no responsibility for providing any type of training," Cordry said, insisting that the church never sponsored any vocal training provided by Lindberg.

If released on the $10,000 bail set for each case, Lindberg is ordered to stay away from both of the alleged victims. The parents of both children have filed restraining orders against him, Korman said.

Lindberg faces two pretrial hearings: Barnstable District Court on Tuesday and Falmouth District Court on Nov. 4

steehan@capecodonline.com

 
 

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