Former Pennsylvania high school band leader convicted of sexual assault

HARRISBURG, PA — Attorney General Michelle Henry has affirmed the sexual assault conviction of Theron Roberts, a former band director at Crestwood High School in Luzerne County. The jury returned a guilty verdict late Thursday, finding Roberts guilty of sexual abuse in an institutional setting, enticement of a minor and two minor counts of indecent assault.

Sentencing for 41-year-old Roberts is scheduled for September 27. The case centers on allegations that he groped a student in 2019, taking advantage of his authority and the trust he had built with the student over several years. The incidents reportedly escalated from inappropriate comments and touching during music class to a more serious assault in a remote school area.

The Attorney General praised the jury’s diligence and the victim’s courage in facing her abuser in court, and stressed how important the victim’s testimony was to the verdict. The conviction is a crucial moment in addressing abuse of power in educational institutions.