A former Northern Virginia choir director has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of sexual battery against a former 17-year-old student, and has received a 12-month suspended sentence. Joel Adam Shapiro, 33, was sentenced Sept. 4 in Loudoun County Circuit Court after entering a plea to the misdemeanor. He was initially charged in 2024 with taking indecent liberties with a child while a custodian, which is a felony.
