Cape Music Instructor Indicted on Sex Abuse Charges

By Sean Teehan
Cape Cod Times
January 21, 2012

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120121/NEWS/201210337/-1/NEWSMAP

A Barnstable County grand jury has indicted a Cape Cod music instructor on more than a dozen counts of sexual abuse of two young students.

Stephen B. Lindberg, 55, of Marstons Mills will likely be arraigned on four counts of rape of a child, six counts of indecent assault and battery on a person under the age of 14, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14 and one count of violating a restraining order, Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Sharon Thibeault said.

"My client vigorously denies these charges," said William A. Korman, Lindberg's defense attorney. "Based on the nature of the charges, we're not surprised the district attorney decided to present evidence to a grand jury."

In August, Lindberg was arraigned in Barnstable District Court on 15 counts, including statutory rape and indecent assault and battery.

The charges stemmed from an alleged series of assaults on a 14-year-old girl from late 2010 until June 2011. The girl took private vocal lessons from Lindberg starting in 2007 when she was 10.

About a month later, while Lindberg was still in custody on the Barnstable charges, a Falmouth District Court judge arraigned him on six counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 and three counts of statutory rape of a child.

During the arraignment in Falmouth, Assistant District Attorney Kerry Whalen said the victim in that case was 12 years old when Lindberg massaged her all over and took her clothes off on at least six occasions.

Whalen added that Lindberg also allegedly sexually assaulted the victim three times, and once took off his clothes so she could touch him.

"He made a comment to her that she was so good at this at 12 years old," Whalen said during the September arraignment.

At the time of his arrest, Lindberg was working as music director at Unity on Cape Cod church in Hyannis. The Rev. Steve Cordry, the church's pastor, said he fired Lindberg, who held the position on a contract basis since 2007, when he became aware of the charges against him.

A Times investigation in November revealed that Lindberg, who held various positions including music director for such plays as "Annie" for the Falmouth Theatre Guild, exaggerated or lied about his credentials on multiple occasions.

In a 2008 Cape Cod Chronicle article about his music career, Lindberg told reporter Debra Lawless that he graduated from the University of Miami in Florida, voiced a Muppet on the children's television series "Sesame Street" — the claim also appeared in a program for "Annie" — and was a featured comedian at New York City's Comedy Store.

A review by a Times reporter revealed that the first two claims were not true and that the comedy club at which Lindberg claimed to have performed never existed.

Thibeault and Korman both predicted Lindberg's arraignment in Barnstable Superior Court would come within a month.

Contact: steehan@capecodonline.com