Former Phillips Exeter Academy Employee Charged with Sexual Assault

EXETER, NH - A former employee of Phillips Exeter Academy turned himself in to police and was arrested today on sexual assault charges after allegations from the 1970s were raised by a former student at the school, according to police.

Arthur Peekel, 74, of Palatine, IL, was arrested on May 13, 2016, on two counts of sexual assault.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Exeter Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. Click this link, which explains New Hampshire Patch's police log name removal policy.

According to police, as part of the investigation into sexual assault and improper behavior at the tony prep school, a student raised an allegation from 1973 to police.

Peekel allegedly sexually assaulted the former student –who was prospective student at the time – in November and December 1973, according to police.

The statute of limitation had expired on the case with the exception that Peekel moved out of state shortly after the alleged incidents occurred, according to police.

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"We allege that the suspect violated the trust placed in him by a prospective student by committing multiple acts of sexual assault," said Exeter Police Chief William Shupe in a statement. "We salute the bravery of the victim in coming forward to report this incident to us, allowing us to bring this case forward."

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In a statement, Shupe said the department was seeking to keep members of the public informed about the progress of investigations into other allegations of sexual misconduct. In April, the school “turned over a number of complaints of alleged misconduct” to the department which ranged from “third person reports with unknown victims to allegations against named faculty having inappropriate relationships with students,” according to Shupe. Since that time, additional reports have been made to either Phillips Exeter Academy and turned over to the Exeter Police Department or directly to the police department.

At this time, numerous cases have been closed by the for various reasons, including unfounded rumors and cases where the alleged victims are choosing not to come forward, according to Shupe. The closed cases involve alleged events that range from the 1960s to 2014, and not all of the cases involve employees of the school.

Other cases remain open and investigations are ongoing, he noted.

Peekel was released on $25,000 personal recognizance bail and is due in court on July 25.

“The Exeter Police Department takes any allegations concerning the sexual abuse of children very seriously, and we want to assure the community that we are conducting a complete and impartial investigation into each claim,” Shupe said. "We are grateful to those who have had the courage to come forward and we remain thankful for the support of the public as we conduct these investigations."

The Exeter Police Department continues to ask anyone who has information about misconduct or abuse, or who may be a victim, or who has any concerns or questions to contact Exeter Police Captain Michael Munck directly at 603-773-6144 or email him at mmunck@exeternh.gov.