Candlelight vigil planned to keep child rapist, former teacher behind bars

BALTIMORE - A candlelight vigil will be held Wednesday night to keep a convicted child sex abuser in prison.

Former Baltimore Catholic school students are fighting to keep John Merzbacher locked up.

They plan to gather outside the former Catholic Community Middle School in Baltimore Wednesday night where victims say they were raped and sexually abused by Merzbacher, a former English teacher at the school.  

Merzbacher is serving four life terms after he was convicted in the 1990's of raping a student.

Dozens of others students say they were also abused by Merzbacher. They're now coming together to fight a court ruling that could result in his possible release.

Merzbacher claims he was never properly told of a plea bargain that was offered before his trial began.

The former students will hold the candlelight vigil at 7 PM on the sidewalk of our Lady of Good Council Church and the former site of Catholic Community Middle. It's in the 1500 block of Fort Avenue in Baltimore.