Famous Ragtime Pianist Accused of Molesting Boys in his Berkeley Home Found not Guilty

With contribution from the Bay City News

A jury today found a prominent and popular local ragtime pianist not guilty of nearly all allegations that he molested two 12-year-old boys in Berkeley and Oakland five years ago.

After deliberating for two and a half days, jurors found not guilty of six counts involving one of the alleged victims and deadlocked 7-5 in favor of finding him not guilty of one count involving the other alleged victim.

The charges for which Hodges was acquitted are four counts of committing lewd acts with a child under the age of 14, one count of oral copulation with a child under 14 and one count of possession of child pornography.

The charge on which jurors deadlocked was one additional count of committing lewd acts with a child.

Hodges, who is free on $1.5 million bail, is scheduled to return to court on April 25, when the Alameda County District Attorney's Office will announce whether it will seek a retrial on the lone remaining count.

Hodges' attorney, Patrick Clancy, said, "We're happy with the verdicts. We're sitting in a very strong position and we hope the District Attorney won't re-try the one remaining count."

Prosecutor Jimmie Wilson couldn't be reached for comment this afternoon.

Clancy told jurors in his closing argument last week that Hodges should be found not guilty of all charges against him because the case against him is weak and is based on interviews of the alleged victims in which he believes a police investigator coerced them to make incriminating
statements about Hodges.

Clancy admitted that Hodges touched both boys but said it was not in a sexual way.

He said Hodges "had no sexual intent" and "what he did is not a crime."

Hodges' website says he is "hailed by the press as one of the best ragtime pianists in the world" and "is sought after by today's foremost orchestras, festivals, conductors and collaborative musicians."

The website says Hodges is a native of California who earned a doctorate in history from Oxford in 2001 and has had a steady career playing solo piano for society parties and holding regular engagements at San Francisco establishments.

Clancy said Hodges, who parts his blonde hair in the middle in the style of the 1920s, raised his bail funds from his friends in the Art Deco Society.