Peter Antonelli: MBE music teacher raped and abused pupils

A retired teacher awarded an MBE for services to musical education has been convicted of raping and sexually abusing former pupils.

Peter Antonelli, 66, taught children how to play the piano at two schools in East Lothian for almost three decades.

The High Court in Edinburgh was told he used his job to groom and abuse young girls in his care.

Jurors found him guilty of charges of rape, lewd and libidinous conduct and indecent assault against six victims.

He had denied the charges and claimed he had a consensual sexual relationship with one of his pupils when she turned 17.

Antonelli, from Gullane in East Lothian, was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing in December.

The abuse took place between 1980 and 2005. He was awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours list at the end of 2004.

One of Antonelli's victims told the court that when she was at secondary school he would run his finger up her back and to her it seemed like he was feeling for a bra strap.

The woman, now 45, said: "He would run his hand seductively down your back. It was disgusting."

She said there came a time when she refused to go to further lessons.

Another woman - now aged 52 - told the court how Antonelli called her PB - which stood for "perfect bum" - and took indecent photographs of her.

The woman said that Antonelli became "aroused" when he took the photos.

She also told the court that Mr Antonelli made her perform sex acts on him and got her to go on the pill when she turned 16 because he didn't want to get her pregnant.

She said Mr Antonelli also indulged in "controlling behaviour" by repeatedly telephoning her and following her.

"I didn't know how to get out of it," the woman said.

Antonelli admitted to having a sexual relationship with the girl when she turned 17 and he was 31.

Antonelli told his lawyer Brian McConnachie QC: "At the time it was quite common then. Not now. But back then it was quite common."

In his closing speech to jurors, prosecutor Chris Fyffe said that the evidence in the case showed that Antonelli was "manipulative" towards girls he befriended and became a confidante to.

Mr Fyffe said Antonelli had groomed impressionable children and normalised his activities behind the guise of piano teacher.

He added: "Piano teaching provided him with access to young girls on a one to one basis, but it also provided him with a cover story."

Jurors accepted Mr Fyffe's arguments and convicted him.

Judge Gilchrist also placed Antonelli on the sex offenders' register.