Stephen Shipps will face trial for sex offences before Christmas

Stephen Shipps will face trial for sex offences before Christmas

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norman lebrecht

December 03, 2020

The former University of Michigan violin professor has been charged with transporting a minor girl across state lines for sex.

Shipps, 67, is presently free on a $10,000 bond. The trial commences on December 22.

It is alleged that in February, March, June and July of 2002, Shipps transported a girl under the age of 18 across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity with her. Shipps retired from the University at the end of last year.

 

 

 

Comments

  • henry williams says:

    iam surprised these people are not scared of a custodial
    sentence

    • Karl says:

      Studies show that the certainty of being caught is a much more powerful deterrent than the punishment. To stop this kind of thing from happening we need to keep men and women separate.

      • Yet Another says:

        I knew it was only a matter of time before we heard from you, Karl. Although your snide comment comes as no surprise, it does grate on my nerves, especially in this case.

        • Karl says:

          Nothing snide about it. In some Muslim countries they still don’t allow women to alone with a man to whom she is not married. There are plenty of female violin teachers. Why not keep the genders separate?

          • Yet Another says:

            Karl, you are being snide. I’ve followed this blog for years, so don’t play dumb. By suggesting the Mike Pence/Muslim idea, you’re implying that the “Me Too Mouthfoamers” (See? Your slurs are all filed away…) are hellbent on creating a Puritanical society. You’re conflating the desire for teenagers to be safe during violin lessons with prudishness and religious zealotry. These were not “women.” Besides, how would keeping “men and women separate” address abuse by priests of altar boys?

            Based on your comments, it seems your life’s mission is to discredit all claims of sexual abuse. You take every opportunity to share links about false accusations, plus you have your very own personal experience to “prove” it. In your world, there is no such thing as sexual abuse and all women are liars.

            Your defense of every single sexual predator, regardless of the particulars, means you have zero credibility. But you are consistent and reliable in your uninformed comments.

          • Karl says:

            I may be the only one left who believes in innocent until proven guilty. People who believe in it have no credibility to the mouth foaming mob! It’s a horrific experience to be falsely accused and even more to be falsely convicted. Studies show that it happens quite often. The 2012 Urban Institute report, “Post-Conviction DNA Testing and Wrongful Conviction,” stated that when sexual assault convictions were isolated, DNA testing eliminated between 8 and 15 percent of convicted offenders and supported exoneration. Past estimates generally put the rate of wrongful conviction at or less than three percent. And what about people who can’t use DNA to prove their innocence?

  • Rap-Sody No. 5 says:

    Back in the day, all the old pervs on the Juilliard faculty were assigned “minders” in their studios. There always had to be a third person in the room during lessons- an accompanist, another student, anyone. Taking a pre-college age student to Jersey or CT, however, was frowned upon.

    • A victim told me what a Juilliard teacher did to her when she was 13. His alleged behavior was widely known. He was also a member of the NY Phil. No one ever stopped him. He’s dead now. A few, like Levine, have been exposed, but most of these people’s names remain shrouded in secrecy even though many knew what they were doing, an example of the difficulty in dealing with these problems and the complicity of the classical music world.

      • henry williams says:

        the only solution is a security camera in the music room

      • Couperin says:

        Definitely lots of pervs at the ‘yard. Shapiro among them. He shoved his tongue down one of his students throats, so the school forbade him from having anymore female students. That was the old days of fixing such behavior. By old days I mean circa 1999! He kept teaching until he croaked.

  • Bill says:

    He violated the Mann act, which is a federal crime. Serving time in a federal prison for sex crimes is not something a guy like him wants to face.

  • Bill says:

    Trial will NOT commence in 2020.

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