Former Fort Worth private school piano teacher sentenced to 10 years for indecency with students, prosecutors say
A former piano teacher at Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of indecency with a child by exposure, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office.
Trent Muse, 29, received what prosecutors described as the maximum sentence for repeatedly exposing himself to at least five students during private piano lessons in the 2022-2023 school year.
Families previously filed lawsuit against school
In March, a group of parents sued Trinity Valley School over multiple reports of alleged sexual abuse by Muse, a former teacher whom they claim the school covered up for years.
Multiple families alleged the school's negligence allowed more than a dozen young girls to be abused.
According to the lawsuit, filed March 25, the incidents of sexual abuse happened over eight months during the 2022–23 school year, involving 16 girls ranging in age from 6 to 11 at the time of the alleged abuse.
The lawsuit, which notes Muse was fired in April 2023, claims the school told parents that Muse left for personal reasons and "encouraged families to continue lessons with Muse off campus," and that there was "no cause for concern" regarding Muse's departure.
On Wednesday, Natalie Arbaugh, an attorney with Winston & Strawn representing multiple families, said the lawsuit is ongoing and in the "early discovery" phase.
"Today's (sentencing) hearing only touches the surface in terms of what our clients expect and deserve from the justice system," Arbaugh told CBS News Texas. "The enormous harm these victims and their families have suffered is devastating and will last for many years to come, as their impact statements in court today made clear.
"These young children are so brave, and it's because of them that today happened. We look forward to giving our clients their day in court and hopefully reaching a point where Mr. Muse and Trinity Valley are held fully accountable for their conduct."
Court documents show Muse was arrested in June 2024.
School pledged transparency amid ongoing legal case
Earlier this year, Trinity Valley School wrote in a statement:
"Since the arrest of former piano teacher Trent Muse last year, Trinity Valley School has remained steadfast in its commitment to supporting our students and families and seeking answers as best we can. After the school received a report of an incident involving Mr. Muse in April 2023, he was promptly terminated from his position and a report was made to Child Protective Services. Upon learning of his June 2024 arrest, we immediately initiated a third-party investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding Mr. Muse's termination and the school's actions related to his departure. Out of respect for the privacy of those involved and due to ongoing legal proceedings, we are limited in what we can share publicly. However, we will continue to navigate this process with the compassion, sensitivity, and thoughtfulness our community deserves."
CBS News Texas will continue to provide updates on the lawsuit as it progresses.
