Westminster teacher arrested for sexual assault of a minor

By Sarah Siock

Dezheng Ping, a Westminster Choir College employee, was arrested and charged on Sept. 23 with one count of second-degree sexual assault, one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child and one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, prosecutors said.

Associate Vice President for University Marketing and Communications Kristine Brown said Ping is currently on leave, but would not specify if the leave is paid or unpaid. Brown declined to comment further citing the ongoing investigation.

An investigation by Detective Patrick Miller of the Plainsboro Township Police Department and Detective Linda Infusino of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office found that in 2016, Ping inappropriately touched a 12-year-old child, during violin lessons held in Ping’s residence, which was at that time in Plainsboro, New Jersey, according to a press release from The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Ping, 57, is a teacher at the Westminster Conservatory of Music — a branch of WCC that teaches young community students on the Princeton campus. He is not listed as teaching any courses at Rider’s Lawrenceville campus this semester, and has taught at the Conservatory since 2006, according to his profile at rider.edu. Additionally, Ping provides private violin instruction in West Windsor and Plainsboro, according to prosecutors.

Ping currently resides in Lawrence Township.

The prosecutor’s office said the investigation is active and ongoing.