Jury convicts choir director on 2 of 16 counts

Jury convicts choir director on 2 of 16 counts

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A high school choral director has been convicted on two of 16 charges stemming from students’ allegations of improper conduct.

The (Doylestown) Intelligencer says Bucks County jurors deliberated over three days before reaching a verdict Monday in the case of 38-year-old Tyrone Dinkins .

Jurors on Monday convicted the William Tennent High School choir director of two counts of corruption of minors, deadlocked on an indecent assault count and acquitted him of other counts.

Dinkins, who declined comment after the trial, hugged his attorney after the verdict. Prosecutor Maureen Spang, who also declined comment until after sentencing, said her office had not decided whether to retry Dinkins on the indecent assault count.

Investigators said students accused Dinkins of groping them, sending sexual messages via text, discussing sexual dreams and asking one to perform a “sexy” dance.

Dinkins, a teacher at the school since 2001, said he was just trying to show the girls that they were cared for. He said his actions were not sexual and his comments were merely playful.

After the allegations surfaced a year ago, Dinkins was placed on administrative leave from the Centennial School District, where a spokeswoman declined comment Monday.