A former University of Michigan professor has pled guilty to child exploitation following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations Detroit, according to a press release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Stephen Shipps, 68, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, pled guilty to transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity, Shore News Network reported. Shipps worked as a former violin professor and Director of the Strings Preparatory Program at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance.
"Shipps used his position of trust to sexually exploit a child. Well-regarded music professors at prestigious universities with competitive music programs like the University of Michigan enjoy tremendous influence within the music community,” acting U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin of the Eastern District of Michigan said. “These professors often have the ability to make or break careers.”
Shipps also taught at various summer music programs in Germany, the UK, and the Czech Republic, the release said.
"I commend the brave young woman who stepped forward and exposed Shipps’s abuse," Mohsin added. "This case proves that the passage of time, no matter how long, will not deter us from bringing to justice those who prey on our most vulnerable."
Shipps currently faces a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
