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It’s the encore no one asked for.
A Hollywood piano teacher convicted of sexually abusing a 15-year-old California client allegedly fled the country rather than face justice earlier this month, according to a new report.
The 69-year-old maestro John Kaleel allegedly skipped town on Oct. 8, shortly after jurors returned their verdict, according to the Los Angeles Times.
He may have left earlier, with his lawyer telling the paper she hasn’t heard from him since the day before.
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A pianist presses a key with their middle finger in this stock image. Hollywood maestro John Kaleel, an Australian national convicted of child sex abuse, allegedly fled the country rather than face justice at the end of his trial in Los Angeles. (iStock)
Fox News Digital has reached out to Kaleel’s defense attorney, Kate Hardie, for comment.
The male victim in the case told police that Kaleel asked to measure his genitalia when he was 15, Los Angeles prosecutors told the court, according to the paper. Then he said that Kaleel asked him to get naked on a FaceTime call two years later, telling him, that’s “what friends do.”
A couple runs through an airport to catch their flight in this stock image. Hollywood piano teacher John Kaleel is accused of jetting out of the country after his conviction on child sex abuse charges. (iStock)
Prosecutors accused him of using marijuana with the teen and engaging in oral sex with him. He faced up to 10 years in prison when he allegedly fled the country.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to a request to comment before business hours Friday.
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Signage at Los Angeles International Airport indicating flight arrivals and departures along Sepulveda Boulevard, pictured on January 6, 2025. (iStock)
Kaleel’s website indicated that his client list includes the children whose parents worked on hit TV series, including “Mad Men,” “Samurai Jack” and “Orange is the New Black,” according to the report. Their testimonials on his website were not visible Friday.
Kaleel, who is originally from Australia, pleaded guilty to the charges but later retracted his plea and appealed after the conviction led to deportation proceedings, according to news.com.au, a major Australian news site.
An Instagram profile in Kaleel’s name states that he studied classical piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in his home country and had been accepted to Juilliard, the elite performing arts school in New York City.
The case went to trial and led to his conviction, but he was free without bail during the latest legal proceeding.