It will give you nightmares.
"Conductor exits after hiring sex offender" January 13, 2012|By Michael Rezendes
The New England Conservatory and world-renowned conductor Benjamin Zander have parted ways following the discovery by school officials that Zander knowingly hired a registered sex offender to videotape performances by the school’s Youth Philharmonic Orchestra during concerts, rehearsals, and classes over the past decade, and perhaps longer.
In letters e-mailed yesterday to 6,500 parents of current and former prep school students, conservatory officials said they have never received a complaint about the behavior of the videographer, Peter E. Benjamin, but have taken steps “to ensure that this individual would no longer have access to our premises, and would not be engaged by NEC . . . in the future.’’
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Zander is also known as an inspirational speaker. He spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2008....
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"Video maker had sordid past, strong advocates; Calling himself fully rehabilitated, decries firing by conservatory" January 14, 2012|By Michael Rezendes and Patricia Wen, Globe Staff
Peter E. Benjamin, the registered sex offender hired by renowned conductor Benjamin Zander to tape performances by a New England Conservatory youth orchestra, was a beloved figure among Boston’s cultural elite more than two decades ago, when he was routinely hired to produce photographs and videos for institutions such as the Boston Ballet, the Opera Company of Boston, the American Repertory Theater, and the Boston Red Sox.
But in the early 1990s when Benjamin was in his 50s, the picture changed. He was sentenced to five years in state prison after pleading guilty to charges of rape and sexual abuse. Among the allegations: that he secretly videotaped himself having sex with three male teens, one of whom was abused by Benjamin during a two-year period beginning in 1990, when the boy was 13.
Evidence seized from Benjamin’s home, then in Wayland, included videotapes of the three teens, along with “a box of photographs containing hundreds of photographs of numerous naked boys approximately age 8 to 15 … performing sexual acts upon one another,’’ according to prosecutors.
In the statement, prosecutors said at the time that Benjamin had “embarked on a well-rehearsed scheme to lure’’ the three male teens into sexual activity - with disastrous consequence....
This week, conservatory officials said they would no longer hire Benjamin. They then dismissed Zander, who has received world acclaim as a conductor, after learning he had hired Benjamin to videotape youth orchestra performances with full knowledge of his record as a sex offender.
Last night, in a phone interview with the Globe, the 68-year-old Benjamin, who now lives in Brighton, defended his work for the conservatory and criticized school officials for canceling his contract work, asserting that he has not reoffended since his release from prison and noting that he completed five years of supervised probation.
“I’ve done everything right,’’ he said. “I deserve a break here.’’
Benjamin also said he believes the conservatory overreacted because of the sexual abuse controversy that has engulfed Penn State University and its legendary football program. In November, former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was indicted on sex abuse charges and two other university officials were charged with failing to notify police of the abuse allegations....
Also see: Sunday Globe Special: Punting Penn State Story
I'm doing the same to this story.
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Related: School says it failed to check into offender
N.E. Conservatory defends Zander decision
