Hollywood Piano Teacher Flees Abroad After Teen Sex Abuse Conviction

John Kaleel, a 69-year-old Hollywood piano teacher with a clientele that included families of prominent TV industry figures, fled the United States shortly after being convicted on multiple counts of sexually abusing a 15-year-old student. He left the country on October 8, the same day a Los Angeles jury found him guilty of five counts of abuse related to incidents that occurred in 2013, including lewd acts and inappropriate sexual contact via FaceTime. Kaleel, originally from Australia and a lawful permanent U.S. resident since the 1980s, had previously pleaded no contest in 2016 to similar charges but fought to overturn that plea to avoid deportation. His attorney last saw him the day before the verdict and has had no contact since. Authorities are pursuing extradition efforts, but details on his whereabouts remain unknown. The case has drawn attention due to Kaleel's association with Hollywood and the serious nature of the charges, while his website and claimed endorsements from TV creators have been disavowed or removed.