Connecticut music teacher Accused of making sweet, sweet music with a student

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MERIDEN, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) - A former Connecticut music teacher is facing charges after police said she had an inappropriate relationship with a student several years ago.

Ciara Picard, 39, turned herself in to Meriden police on Dec. 2.

According to police, Picard has been charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault. They said the reported incidents happened while she was working as a teacher at Maloney High School.

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According to Picard’s arrest warrant, the student is now 25 years old. He told police that he started being groomed by Picard as a freshman when he was 14 years old.

When the student was 16 and 17 years old, during his junior and senior years, he told police that multiple sexual assault incidents occurred.

He said the relationship evolved after his father died.

Police said the now-former student told them that during his junior year, he went on a trip with Picard to New York City to watch a symphony. That’s when he said they exchanged their first kiss.

He also said that during that year, text messages between him and Picard became sexual in nature.

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Police said they interviewed Picard on Aug. 26. They asked her if she had ever had a relationship with any student during her 13-year tenure with Meriden schools.

She initially denied having one. However, police said she eventually said she knew the student to whom police were referring.

Picard admitted that texts between her and the student “definitely crossed the line,” police said, while also admitting that the relationship was “not OK.”

However, she continued to deny that the relationship was physically sexual while he was a student. She claimed the first time they had sex was when he was in college.

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