"A piano teacher who gave lessons to the children of several Hollywood power players was sentenced Friday to nine years and four months in prison for sexually abusing a longtime student starting when the boy was 13, prosecutors said. The sentencing brought a close to a decade-long legal battle marked by several twists and turns - including a dramatic move by the defendant, John Kaleel, to flee to Australia the same day a jury found him guilty of five counts of sexual abuse."
"The boy said that Kaleel asked him to measure his penis when he was 12 years old and later convinced him that they should masturbate over FaceTime, according to court records. In September 2013, when the boy was 15, Kaleel invited him over, they smoked marijuana together and engaged in oral sex, prosecutors said."
"Kaleel's attempts to evade justice proved unsuccessful. He was arrested in Australia at the request of the U.S. government and extradited to Los Angeles in January. 'He has now learned the hard way that you can run, but you cannot hide,' L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a statement that month."
John Kaleel, a 69-year-old piano teacher who instructed children of Hollywood power players for over 25 years, was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison for sexually abusing a student from 2011 to 2013. The abuse began when the victim was 12 years old and included inappropriate requests, FaceTime masturbation, and oral sex. Kaleel fled to Australia the day a jury convicted him of five counts of sexual abuse, but was arrested and extradited to Los Angeles in January. The case spanned a decade-long legal battle with multiple twists. Kaleel's website previously listed numerous A-list clients whose children he taught.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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