Police have arrested Carl Emerson Fritts Jr., the co-owner and guitar teacher at Bethesda Music on Rugby Avenue in Bethesda, charging him with child pornography, child abuse and third-degree sex offenses.
On March 19, police say they discovered that a 13-year-old girl had been taking guitar lessons at the store. During these, private, once-per-week lessons, Fritts would make sexual comments to her and eventually began to fondle her as she played.
“It was above and below the waist,” said Derick Baliles, spokesperson for the Montgomery County Police.
Beginning in January, Fritts brought a digital camera to the lessons and would take pictures of the victim’s cleavage and bare breasts, say Police.
Police say they have found those pictures, and other pictures of other girls in various stages of undress. “We know that there are other victims,” Baliles said. “There’s talk of, perhaps, up to 100.”
Baliles said that, since some of the photos do not have faces, it is difficult to determine the exact number. He said Police do not know at this point whether any of the photographs have been distributed to any print or Internet outlets. “It’s really hard to tell,” Baliles said.
Police do not know how long this may have been going on. “We’ve been told he has been teaching for a number of years,” Baliles said.
Police are encouraging anyone else who was student of Fritts’ to come forward if they were assaulted.
“Thankfully, this young lady has been brave enough to come forward,” Baliles said. “The ice has been broken, someone has come forward, and now they can, also.”
Anyone who was a student of Fritts’ or has a daughter who was is asked to contact Detective Corporal Jim Cunningham at 240-773-5415.