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:
“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.
Source Agencies
