
By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – Dozens of charges including child pornography are filed against a local piano teacher accused of molesting several children.
The McLean County State’s Attorney’s office reports there are now six young victims after a grand jury Wednesday indicted Aaron Parlier on 25 criminal counts, added to the 13 that were filed earlier this year.
Police say Parlier, 36 and from Tazewell County, taught piano for many years to children in Bloomington-Normal.
Most of the latest charges involve one alleged victim, who was younger than 13. However, there are four other alleged victims, identified only by their initials in the indictments.
The child pornography charges allege Parlier filmed, videotaped, or possessed images of him having sex with the kids.
The charges also say Parlier should have known they were younger than 18. The crimes allegedly occurred from 2010 to January of this year.
Parlier’s lawyer, during a February interview with WJBC, said his client is not a serial rapist.
The indictments follow comments made just a week ago by State’s Attorney Jason Chambers, who told WJBC’s Sam Wood he considers child molestation second only to murder among the most serious crimes.
Parlier is jailed on $1 million bond as he awaits an April 24 court date.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]