A jury will decide whether a West Valley voice teacher touched two students inappropriately while teaching them breathing techniques last year.
At the conclusion of a preliminary hearing Tuesday, 3rd District Judge Anthony Quinn ordered Cory Larsen, 30, to stand trial on two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.Larsen is scheduled for arraignment April 2 before Judge Ronald Nehring. If convicted, Larsen could face up to 30 years in prison.
During the hearing, a 17-year-old boy testified that while taking voice lessons from Larsen in the spring of 1998, Larsen would instruct him to lie on the floor to practice breathing techniques. While the boy lay back with his eyes shut, Larsen would feel his pelvic area for "air pockets," the boy said.
Sometimes Larsen touched him over his pants and sometimes under his pants, the boy said. And on at least one occasion, Larsen may have "brushed" his genitals.
"I don't know if it was purposely or not," he said. "I honestly thought that it was part of what was supposed to be happening."
Another 17-year-old boy testified that at his first singing lesson with Larsen in September, Larsen explained to him that they might be doing some uncomfortable things but that he would explain why they were necessary. Larsen then pointed out "breathing" spots in his lower stomach and pelvic area and touched them with his fingers.
A week later, Larsen began to teach the boy during breathing exercises, the boy said. While the boy was lying down with his eyes closed, Larsen lowered the boy's pants and touched the "breathing" areas to the sides of the boy's groin.
At one point, Larsen "bumped" his hand into the boy's exposed genitals, the boy said.
The boy said he did not believe Larsen was making a sexual advance, but he "felt uncomfortable."
"I was embarrassed, I was confused," the boy said. "I knew it was wrong."
In a letter, the boy told investigators he did not know if the touching had been accidental.
Defense attorney Troy Rawlings argued that both boys had consented to Larsen's teaching methods and that neither boy's testimony could prove the alleged abuse was intentional. Larsen never had a sexual discussion with either boy, and his wife and young son had always been in the house during the lessons.
Prosecutor Susan Hunt pointed out Larsen instructed both boys to wear loose clothing to his lessons and spent most of the time with the boys performing breathing exercises on the floor.
"There certainly is no legitimate need for the defendant to have his hands down the pants of a young boy during a singing lesson," Hunt said. "This isn't a situation of accidental brushing. The defendant tricked these boys."