Choir Director Arrested for Lewd Acts With Student
Montclair police arrest the 53-year-old man after allegedly catching him red-handed with 15-year-old girl
KNBC
Bethany Baptist Church faces internal crisis after police say its 53 year old choir director was caught having illegal relations in a car with a teenage girl just before church.
Montclair Police Department Sex Crimes Unit is investigating a 53-year-old choir director allegedly caught with a 15-year-old student Sunday morning.
Police say a patrol officer was on routine patrol when he noticed a suspiciously-parked vehicle in an alley in the 10200 block of Central Avenue at 9 a.m. Sunday. When the officer approached, he allegedly saw Mark Michaels (pictured) with the girl, "performing lewd acts."
Michaels was arrested and is being held at the Rancho Cucamonga West Valley Detention Center. Michaels is being held on $50,000 bond.
Upon further investigation, police said the young girl was a student of Michaels, who is a choir director at Bethany Baptist Church in the 9900 block of Monte Vista Avenue.
"During the investigation that information was provided to us by both parties," said Lt. Jason Reed.
Reed said the two have known each other for approximately two years.
Detectives worry there could be more victims and hope that anyone with information will step forward.
