A 69-year-old Australian piano teacher who built a career in Los Angeles has been taken into custody in Australia after fleeing the United States following a high-profile sex abuse conviction.
Guilty Verdict and Immediate Flight
John Kaleel was found guilty earlier this month on five counts of sexual abuse relating to a teenage student he taught in Hollywood. The offences date back to 2013 and include allegations of inappropriate sexual contact, encouraging sexual activity via FaceTime, and inviting the minor to allegedly partake in drug use before the abuse occurred.
On October 8 - the very same day jurors in Los Angeles delivered their guilty verdict - Mr Kaleel reportedly left the United States. Prosecutors quickly filed a fugitive warrant and began extradition proceedings.
Long-Running Legal Battle
This isn't the first time Kaleel has faced legal trouble over similar allegations. He had previously entered a "no contest" plea in 2016 to a charge of committing a lewd act on a teenage student, but later fought to withdraw that plea upon realising the immigration consequences.
Despite successfully appealing a deportation order and convincing a Los Angeles County Judge to throw out the plea deal, prosecutors weren't finished with the case. The L.A. County District Attorney's Office opted to retry the case, leading to this month's guilty verdict.
"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," defence lawyer Katie Hardie previously told The Los Angeles Times.
Arrest and Future Proceedings
According to U.S. authorities, Kaleel was arrested in Australia on October 31 by the Australian Federal Police, though his exact location within Australia remains undisclosed. The 69-year-old now faces the prospect of extradition back to the United States to serve time for his conviction.
If extradited, Kaleel faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment for his convictions. His website once claimed he had taught children of Hollywood stars, including names such as the creators of hit TV shows, though these claims haven't been independently verified.
The case first came to light in 2016 when another student of Mr Kaleel told authorities the piano teacher had been allegedly acting inappropriately, sparking the initial investigation that would ultimately lead to this month's conviction and subsequent international manhunt.
