Neighbors Shocked By Piano Teacher's Arrest For Child Sexual Assault
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WYLIE (CBSDFW.COM) - A Wylie piano teacher is behind bars. Investigators say 45-year-old Broderick Arpon sexually assaulted children he taught in his home. Now police want the public's help finding any more possible victims.
Neighbors along the 1300-block of Summerdale Lane told CBS11 it was common to see children and their parents at Arpon's home. Some of those neighbors even knew Arpon taught piano, which is why they weren't suspicious about children frequenting his home.
A heavy police presence was the last thing neighbors along the quiet Wylie street expected this week. Neighbor Jack Rickert said even a burglary would come as a surprise here.
"There were police officers. There were marked cars, unmarked cars, vests all around the place. They were in the back, and they were in the front, so we knew something was happening," Rickert said.
Rickert said couldn't believe it when officers arrested Arpon, also known as Rodgin, for two counts of child sexual assault. Investigators said Arpon rewarded his students with a massage for playing piano well, and those massages escalated to sexual contact. But from outside the only thing noticeable was the arrival of children for their lessons.
"We're all good people, and we watch out for each other around here. This is a little bit different for us," Rickert said.
Arrest warrants show a mother contacted police after her son told her his teacher sexually assaulted him. Arpon's arrest led the mother of another student to ask her son about his interactions with the teacher, who also described massages that escalated. That student also said Arpon made him agree what happens in the piano room stays a secret.
"With how many kids were coming and going, it's always possible there could be more. I mean if he was able to get away with it with one, why would he stop?" neighbor Tom Donaldson asked.
"Not knowing it was going on there is an eye-opener for us to obviously be more vigilant to what's going on," Rickert added.
From jail Arpon declined CBS11's request for an interview. Reached by phone, his family also declined to comment.
Arpon remains in the Collin County Jail with bond set at $100,000.
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