Former Milwaukee Children's Choir director charged; enticement, sexual assault
MILWAUKEE - The former Milwaukee Children's Choir director is charged with child enticement and third-degree sexual assault.
Court records show a warrant was issued for the arrest of 39-year-old Marco Melendez.
According to a criminal complaint, the now 23-year-old victim told police he joined the Milwaukee Children's Choir in 2013. He said Melendez was the director and would "make inappropriate comments to the boys in the class" about "hooking up with guys" and about the choir members' "sex lives."
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The victim told police Melendez would periodically give him rides. Per the complaint, the victim said Melendez had given him a ride approximately 100 times, and 80 of those instances involved Melendez inappropriately touching the victim.
In later years, as they had gotten to know each other, the victim told police Melendez would invite him and others over to his Washington Heights home to watch movies and drink alcohol. There, too, the victim said Melendez would touch him inappropriately. In 2017, while still a minor, the victim said Melendez offered to perform a sex act on him.
Milwaukee County Courthouse
Melendez told the victim not to tell anyone, per the complaint, because he said it would ruin his career.
In 2019, the complaint states Melendez served the victim – who was then an adult – alcohol drinks and performed a nonconsensual sexual act on the victim.
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Police spoke to another person, who the victim said was a member of the choir. According to the complaint, that person said Melendez would "talk about sex to the boys and discuss childhood experiences and being ‘gay.'" He would also text members of the choir in a group chat and invite them over to drink alcohol. The person also said Melendez encouraged the victim to "get naked" on one occasion when everyone was drinking. He estimated there were two-to-five shots of liquor in the mixed drinks Melendez provided.
Melendez left Milwaukee Children's Choir, which no longer exists, in 2017. FOX6 reached out to the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, which merged with the choir this past spring. The conservatory said in a statement:
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"As this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment on the specifics of the matter at this time. However, as part of the merger, we can confirm that no Milwaukee Children’s Choir board members or staff are employed with the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. "
Most recently, the website for Apostles Parish in Cincinnati listed Melendez as its music director, but the page has since been taken down. FOX6's messages, calls and emails to Queen of Apostles and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati went unreturned Tuesday.
Statement from Diocese of Madison (June 27, 2024):
On June 25, 2024, the Diocese of Madison was informed of a criminal complaint filed the same day in Milwaukee County Circuit Court against Mr. Marco Melendez, who was employed as Director of Music and school teacher at St. Maria Goretti Parish in Madison from 2020 to 2023. The criminal complaint pertains to alleged sexual misconduct in Milwaukee County in 2017 and 2019, prior to the time of Mr. Melendez's employment at the parish in Madison. The individual in question was fully vetted according to the Diocese of Madison Safe Environment protocols at the time of his hire in 2020. Diocesan and parish officials were not aware of any prior sexual misconduct by the individual at the time of his hire nor was any of them aware of any allegation of impropriety on his part during the time of his employment at the Madison parish. The individual left employment at the Madison parish of his own accord in 2023, and no longer resides in the Madison area. The diocese respects the ongoing investigative and judicial integrity of the criminal case in Milwaukee County, including the presumption of innocence for the defendant, and the desire for justice to be served.