A New York classical music conductor, previously charged with sexual assault, has been arrested on child pornography charges in Indiana, where he was working as a music teacher.
Julian James Wachner, now 55, served as the music director for Trinity Church Wall Street until 2022. He faced accusations of inappropriate behavior, including kissing and groping individuals at music festivals.
Despite the ongoing controversies, Wachner was teaching fourth graders at the Invention Learning Hub Charter School in Indianapolis when he was taken into custody on felony child pornography charges on Tuesday, according to local reports.
The director of the school mentioned that “inappropriate behavior” had been noted from teachers, both on school grounds and during non-school hours.
School authorities indicated that they conducted background checks on Wachner before his hire in September 2024, and he has since not returned for the remainder of the academic year.
Wachner was recognized as a prominent figure in classical music, having previously led choirs and orchestras at Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan.
In 2022, he was accused by Mary Poole, a former Juilliard employee, of sexual harassment during a 2014 music festival in South Carolina. Poole claimed he pushed her against a wall, groped her, and kissed her.
Wachner denied these allegations, portraying the encounter as consensual in a statement on his website. He was ultimately dismissed from his position at the church in March 2022 after its leaders found his behavior unacceptable.
Currently, Wachner faces one charge of possession of child pornography, but specific details about the case remain undisclosed.
