John Kaleel, a 69‑year‑old piano teacher who once taught young musicians in Hollywood, has been convicted on child sex‑abuse charges and is now believed to have fled the United States.
The trial began in early October in Los Angeles County. After jurors delivered a guilty verdict, a Los Angeles Times report says Kaleel left the courtroom on Oct. 8 and missed his post‑trial hearing. His lawyer told the paper she had not heard from him since the day before, and federal authorities have not given a comment.
Kaleel, who was born in Australia, pleaded guilty in 2022 but later withdrew that plea when the case moved into deportation proceedings. Prosecutors say he abused a 15‑year‑old client by asking him to measure his body and later called him on FaceTime asking the teen to get naked. They also accuse him of sharing marijuana and performing oral sex with the boy. The jury sentenced him to 10 years in prison, the maximum in the state, but he was released on bail during the trial.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the defendant’s website once listed parents of children who worked on hit shows such as Mad Men, Samurai Jack and Orange Is the New Black. Those testimonials are no longer visible on the site.
Kaleel’s background includes a degree from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and an acceptance to New York’s Juilliard School. He had a reputation as a respected “Hollywood piano teacher” before the charges surfaced.
Police are searching for Kaleel across international borders. If he is in a foreign country, he could face extradition and serve a full jail term in Los Angeles. The case has sparked renewed scrutiny of child‑abuse claims in the entertainment industry.
For updates on the investigation and court proceedings, stay tuned to reputable news outlets.
Source: Fox News
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