SYRACUSE N.Y.
A former music teacher at the Onondaga
Indian Nation School
was convicted Thursday of molesting one of his students.
But an Onondaga County Court
jury acquitted Albert Scerbo on 17 of the 19 charges he faced, clearing him of
abusing nine other young girls.
The jury of seven men and five women deliberated nearly 16
hours over three days before convicting the 45-year-old Scerbo on single counts
of first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. Both
charges involved the same victim.
Scerbo left the court immediately without comment after
hearing the verdict. His wife was in tears. Defense attorney Edward Menkin said
he was disappointed by the decision.
Scerbo faces up to seven years in prison. Judge William
Walsh scheduled sentencing for Oct. 10.
On Monday, Scerbo took the witness stand to adamantly deny
that he sexually molested any of the girls.
