Former Music Teacher Denies Child Assault Charges
By Sean Teehan
BARNSTABLE — A Cape Cod music teacher pleaded not guilty Tuesday to more than a dozen counts of sexual abuse involving two of his students. Stephen B. Lindberg, 55, of Marstons Mills, who is also a former music director at a Hyannis church, casually grinned at times during his brief arraignment in Barnstable Superior Court. He is charged with 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. Lindberg, who has been held at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility since his arrest in August, remained in custody after Judge Gary Nickerson ordered that the total bail of $20,000 from two separate district court cases out of Barnstable and Falmouth be applied at the Superior Court level. "It's a bail that my client's not able to make," William Korman, Lindberg's attorney, said in a phone interview after court proceedings. "We plan to address bail at a later date." In August, Lindberg pleaded not guilty in Barnstable District Court to 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. He pleaded not guilty. During the arraignment in Falmouth, Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Kerry Whalen said Lindberg massaged the then-12-year-old victim 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. 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. Cordry told the Times that Lindberg had no contact with children as part of his position. 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. The Superior Court case is scheduled to resume March 15 with a pretrial conference and then May 11 with a pretrial hearing. Contact: steehan@capecodonline.com
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