The trial for a former New Hanover County Public Schools band teacher has been pushed back “due to COVID,” according to officials with the N.C. Department of Justice.

Peter Michael Frank

Peter Michael Frank, age 47, was arrested after turning himself in to authorities on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020.

Frank had a scheduled trial court date of Jan. 24, but his trial has now been postponed. Nazneen Ahmed, the N.C. Department of Justice press secretary, has indicated the trial date was pushed back due to concerns around the recent surge in COVID cases.

There is no additional or current information about when the trial will proceed.

At the time of his arrest, Frank was charged with six counts of indecent liberties with a child and six counts of indecent liberties with a student.

On Mar. 3, 2020, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein announced that a Grand Jury in New Hanover County returned an indictment charging Peter Michael Frank with 17 new counts.

New charges included first-degree sexual offense, statutory sex offense with a person who is 13, 14, or 15, sexual activity with a student, indecent liberties with a child, and indecent liberties with a student.

According to Stein’s press release, the indictment alleges that Frank committed the crimes while teaching at Roland-Grise Middle School.  His victim was a minor and a student at the same school according to the indictment. The incidents allegedly occurred between September 1998 and August 2000.

The alleged incidents related to Frank’s original charges by the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office involved at least six students and took place between 2003 and 2019.

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