CINCINNATI, Ohio-Marco Melendez, a former music director at Queen of Apostles Parish Family in Cincinnati, pleaded not guilty in a Milwaukee court to charges including child enticement and sexual assault dating back to his tenure as director of the Milwaukee Children’s Choir from 2016 to 2019. The charges involve alleged grooming and sexual abuse of a choir member during this period, as detailed in court records. Despite passing mandated child protection requirements upon his hiring in February, no prior charges were known against Melendez at that time. The case, spurred by witness accounts and a victim’s testimony, has drawn significant attention and potential legal consequences, with Melendez facing a maximum prison term of 60 years if convicted on all counts.
