MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A now-former parish staff member in Cincinnati is facing charges in Wisconsin connected to alleged grooming and sexual assault of a member of the Milwaukee Children's Choir he directed, according to court records filed Tuesday. Marco Melendez is charged with two counts of child enticement and one count of third-degree sexual assault for alleged actions that took place between 2016 and 2019 in Milwaukee.
A warrant was filed for his arrest on Tuesday, June 25, but records do not show whether he has been arrested yet. He is not listed as an inmate in the Milwaukee County jail. Fr.
Alex McCullough, pastor of the Queen of Apostles Parish Family said in a letter to parishioners that Melendez was hired as the music director for Queen of Apostles Parish Family in February. McCullough said as of June 25, when the warrant for his arrest in Milwaukee was filed, he is no longer employed with the parish. The Queen of Apostles parish family includes Our Lady of the Valley, Our Lady of the Rosary and St.
James of the Valley, according to the parish website. According to the letter from McCullough, Melendez went through the Archdiocese's mandated child protection requirements, including a criminal background check, and no prior charges nor convictions were revealed at the time he was hired in February. "However, we were informed yesterday of criminal charges filed against Mr.
Melendez in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from alleged criminal activity between 2016 and 2019," reads th.
