SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – A former Metro Detroit music teacher was found guilty by a jury of multiple charges, including sexual assault.
Lamar Willis, 44, was charged with multiple sex crimes against children. Local 4 previously reported residents’ concerns about him after he allegedly became involved in choirs again after he was charged, including The Willis C. Patterson Chorale.
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Background and charges
The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office previously told Local 4 that Willis faced multiple charges, including four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of accosting a child for immoral purposes.
Previous bond conditions barred Willis from contacting children or going within 100 feet of any school, emphasizing the restrictions at issue.
The charges stem from encounters that happened on school grounds during the 2022-2023 school year, according to authorities. Police spoke to 15 children throughout the course of the investigation, and those interviews led them to believe that there were five victims, making the allegations more concrete.
A few months after Willis was charged, he officially resigned. Officials don’t believe he has had any contact with the school since his resignation, which narrows the timeline of his involvement.
Willis began working with the Detroit Public Schools Community District in the fall, but school officials placed him on administrative leave when they were notified of pending charges, showing the immediate response.
Police said they first learned about the allegations against Willis from the district, which started the investigation.
Found guilty by a jury
After the jury trial concluded on Aug. 18, he was found guilty of four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes.
He was also found not guilty of two counts of accosting a child for immoral purposes and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Willis is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 1 at 8:30 a.m.