The choir director for a small school district in northwestern Minnesota has been charged with sexually assaulting a girl half his age during a visit to a cabin.
School choir director in northwestern Minnesota charged with sexually assaulting 15-year-old girl
The alleged assault occurred during a visit to a cabin in Todd County, according to the charges.
August 23, 2023 at 4:15PM
Richard J. Schrom, 30, of Fertile, was charged Monday in Todd County District Court with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and third-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with assaulting the 15-year-old girl last month.
Schrom is now on administrative leave from his job with the Fertile-Beltrami School District. His online biography says he's in his seventh year with the district, where he directed choirs at all school levels and gave voice lessons as well. The charges did not say whether the girl is a student in the district.
Schrom was arrested at school Friday, booked into jail and released on $2,500 bail. Court records do not list an attorney for him. Messages were left Wednesday with Schrom seeking his response to the allegations.
Schrom's online biography says he graduated from Roseville High School in 2011, earned a bachelor's degree in music from North Dakota State University followed by a master's in music education from NDSU in 2022.
According to the charges:
A nurse at St. Cloud Hospital alerted the Todd County Sheriff's Office about a 15-year-old girl who was there for a sexual assault exam.
A sheriff's investigator determined that Schrom was suspected of assaulting the girl in the Grey Eagle area.
The girl's father provided the investigator with photos of SnapChat text messages exchanged between Schrom and the girl. One of them reads, "the last thing that needs to happen is you getting [pregnant]."
Hospital documents acquired by the investigator revealed the girl saying she went to a cabin belonging to the relative of a friend on July 22 and was alone with Schrom while others went to bed. Schrom then "engaged in several forceful acts" leading to intercourse, the charges read.
The girl said Schrom sent her a SnapChat message afterward apologizing for the assault and told her to keep quiet about it because it could ruin his career and marriage.
After his arrest Friday, Schrom admitted to the assault and corroborated the girl's account.
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