Piano teacher for Hollywood stars flees country after guilty verdict in child sex abuse trial

A California piano teacher who claimed to have a star-studded clientele fled the country as jurors were set to deliver a guilty verdict in his child sex abuse case, according to reports.

John Kaleel, 69, slipped out of the country on Oct. 8, the same day jurors found him guilty of five counts of sexual abuse for his relationship with a 15-year-old student, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told the Los Angeles Times.

His lawyer, Kate Hardie, told the outlet she has not seen her client since Oct. 7, the day before the guilty verdict was reached.

The Australian-born piano teacher’s current whereabouts are unknown.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department referred The Post to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which did not respond to a request for comment.

The 15-year-old student was approached by authorities in 2015 and told them that Kaleel had asked  “to take measurements of [the victim’s] body parts, including his penis,” according to court records obtained by the outlet.

Two years later, Kaleel convinced the teen student to masturbate with him on a FaceTime call because “that’s what friends do,” court records obtained by the outlet show.

He then invited the teen over to smoke marijuana, engaging in oral sex afterward, the outlet reported.

On his website, Kaleel stated he taught private lessons in Los Angeles for more than 25 years, and touted clients including “Hollywood industry professionals and students who have pursued successful music careers.”

The page also contained testimonials from creators of several hit television series, including “Mad Men” and “Orange Is the New Black,” who praised Kaleel’s teaching skills with their children, the outlet said.

The site has since been taken down.

Creators quoted on the website have denied endorsing Kaleel or permitting him to feature their testimonials, the outlet said.

“Mr. Kaleel has always maintained his innocence and that he took his initial plea bargain on the advice of counsel to avoid a harsher sentence should he lose at trial,” Hardie told the outlet

After striking a plea deal, Kaleel was taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and served with a deportation order, the outlet said.

He was able to successfully challenge his removal in a 2019 appeal.

“He later learned of the immigration consequences when he was placed in an immigration custody facility for 8 [or] 9 months and faced removal proceedings.”

Dmitry Gorin, a former L.A. County prosecutor, told the outlet that while uncommon, defendants have vanished before a verdict to avoid jail time.

“It’s an unusual situation,” Gorin told the outlet. “But people’s conduct can be very unpredictable when they’re facing a tremendous time in prison.”