A West Hollywood piano teacher who fled to Australia before being convicted of lewd acts with a teenage former student was extradited to the United States and taken into custody Thursday by sheriff’s deputies at Los Angeles International Airport, the District Attorney’s Office announced.
John Michael Kaleel, 69, is awaiting sentencing on four felony counts of lewd act upon a child age 14 or 15 and one felony count of lewd act upon a child under age 14 — a verdict handed down last Oct. 8 after he fled, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The charges stem from crimes involving a long-time student between 2011 and 2013, beginning when he was 13 years old, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
“Our hearts remain with the victim who endured years of abuse by someone he trusted,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement.
“That predator, John Michael Kaleel, was tried and convicted but attempted to escape justice by fleeing to Australia during jury deliberations. He has now learned the hard way that you can run but you cannot hide, a lesson he can contemplate while hopefully serving years of state prison. Thank you to my office’s prosecutors, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and our federal and Australian law enforcement partners who came together to ensure that Mr. Kaleel was brought back to Los Angeles to be sentenced for the crimes of which the jury convicted him.”
No sentencing date has been set yet for Kaleel, who is facing 10 years and eight months in prison, according to the District Attorney’s Office.