"John Kaleel - a veteran piano teacher who has given lessons to the families of several Hollywood power players - faced allegations that he sexually abused one of his students in 2013. Kaleel, 69, pleaded no contest in 2016 to committing a lewd act with a teenage student, but later fought to have the plea overturned after realizing the felony conviction would be grounds for deportation to his native Australia. L.A. County prosecutors then retried him and, while the case was pending, he was released on his own recognizance."
"On Oct. 8 - the same day jurors in the Airport Courthouse found him guilty of five counts of sexual abuse - Kaleel slipped out of the country, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and court records. The Sheriff's Department did not say where they believed Kaleel had fled to. Court records show prosecutors filed an application to seek an "Extradition/Fugitive Hardcopy Warrant," but it contained no details about how he absconded and a spokesperson for the district attorney's office declined to answer questions."
A longtime piano teacher faced allegations of sexually abusing a student in 2013 and was convicted of five counts of sexual abuse. He previously pleaded no contest and later pleaded no contest in 2016 to a lewd act with a teenage student, then sought to overturn that plea because a felony conviction could trigger deportation to Australia. Prosecutors retried the case and released him on his own recognizance while charges were pending. On Oct. 8, the day jurors found him guilty, he left the country; prosecutors filed for an extradition warrant and officials declined to provide details about his departure.
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