A retired violin teacher has been found ‘not guilty’ of multiple sex charges.
Reports say Claude Eric Trachy, 72, was acquitted of several sexual misconduct allegations in a Chatham Superior Court room on Monday.
Superior Court Justice Thomas Carey provided the verdict, saying he accepted the evidence provided by Trachy during the trail, reports say.
As previously released, the Chatham-Kent Police Service arrested the retired male strings teacher on October 28, 2015 for historical sexual offences involving school aged female children.
Trachy was charged with ten counts of sexual assault, five counts of sexual interference and two counts of sexual exploitation dating back to the early 1980’s.
He was released with conditions pending a future court date.
In February of 2016, the Chatham-Kent Police Service charged Trachy with 45 additional sex related offences as a result of 19 new female victims coming forward.
The alleged offences included sexual assault, sexual interference, sexual exploitation and indecent assault on a female.
Police officials said Trachy was self-employed as a strings teacher, teaching primarily violin and viola for over 50 years in Chatham.
Reports say the allegations stemmed from the teachers practice of measuring the breast area of female students, in order to be properly fitted for a shoulder rest, aimed at helping the students better play the violin or viola.
However, the judge accepted Trachy’s evidence that the touching was not for a sexual purpose, reports say.
