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Part-Time Music Teacher Arrested on Suspicion of Sexually Abusing Palo Alto Teen

An after-school music teacher was arrested last week for sexually abusing a 15-year-old Palo Alto student, police said.

Detectives from the Palo Alto Police Department learned about the alleged crime around 1:30 p.m. on July 13. An investigation revealed that John Patrick Root, 35, was a part-time music teacher at the School of Rock at 2645 Middlefield Road.

The victim was one of his students and the sexual abuse occurred numerous time over the past several months when the pair at various locations across Palo Alto, according to police.

An arrest warrant issued on July 19 charged the San Francisco resident with multiple counts of felony sex crimes.

The next day, Palo Alto police, with help from San Francisco officers, arrested the suspect. He was taken to the Santa Clara County Main Jail and booked on four counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor.

Detectives are working with school officials to determine if Root abused anyone else.

People with more information are asked to call the police department’s 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be sent to paloalto@tipnow.org or via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.

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