Guilty, teacher who raped and abused 6 pupils
A RETIRED teacher awarded an MBE for services to musical education has been convicted of raping and sexually abusing pupils.
Peter Antonelli, 66, spent almost three decades pretending to be a respectable member of the community by teaching children how to play piano at two schools in East Lothian.
But the High Court in Edinburgh heard how Antonelli used his job to groom and abuse young girls under his care.
The pervert told dirty jokes and used bad language in front of his pupils. An amateur photographer, he also set up photo shoots in which he took explicit images.
Antonelli, of Gullane, East Lothian, said he had done nothing wrong and claimed he had a consensual sexual relationship with one of his pupils when she turned 17.
He also said it was common in the 1980s for teachers to date pupils.
Yesterday, jurors found him guilty on charges of rape, lewd and libidinous conduct and indecent assault against six victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Judge Jamie Gilchrist, QC, locked him up ahead of sentencing. He said: ‘It is not appropriate for you to remain at liberty. Your bail is revoked and you are remanded in custody.’
Antonelli was awarded an MBE for services to music education on December 31, 2004, in the New Year’s Honours list.
One of the women who gave evidence against him said Antonelli was respected in East Lothian and his music had been played on the radio. But he used his classes to groom his six victims.
The abuse took place between 1980 and 2005.
One victim, now 45, said that while she was at secondary school Antonelli used to run his finger up her back as if he was feeling for a bra strap. ‘It was disgusting,’ she said. ‘This was supposed to be a teacher that you were supposed to trust.’
Another woman, now 52, told the court how Antonelli called her ‘PB’ – which stood for ‘Perfect Bum’ – and took indecent photographs of her. She said that some of the photos showed her ‘private parts’.
The woman said Antonelli became ‘aroused’ when he took the photos.
She also said that when she turned 16, Antonelli made her perform sex acts on him and got her to go on the pill. She said he indulged in ‘control
‘At the time it was quite common’
ling behaviour’ by repeatedly phoning her and following her.
The woman said that as she got older, Antonelli bought her underwear for the photos he took.
She said she did not know how to stop what was happening to her.
Antonelli, who admitted to having a sexual relationship with the girl when she was 17, said he had been engaged to a woman before becoming sexually involved with his pupil.
He told his lawyer: ‘At the time it was quite common. Not now. But back then it was quite common.’
Antonelli was put on the sex offenders’ register and will be sentenced at the High Court on December 22.