Piano teacher Cassius Alleyne sentenced to 3½ years for sexually abusing 9-year-old student

Cassius Alleyne, a 62-year-old piano teacher, was sentenced Tuesday to 3½ years in prison for sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl he taught between 2022 and 2023.

The abuse occurred during private lessons at the girl's home. After the family moved to a larger house, Alleyne began kissing the child on the lips after lessons, escalating to groping her buttocks, chest and genital area. The touching happened between 10 and 20 times over the course of the abuse.

When the girl told her mother what happened, the mother initially dismissed the kissing as accidental. The girl later disclosed the abuse to a school counselor, who reported it to police. Alleyne was arrested in 2024.

At trial, Alleyne denied all physical contact, claiming he never even hugged students and that the movements the girl described would have been physically impossible while seated at a piano. Justice Oviatt found the girl "the more credible and reliable witness" and described Alleyne's testimony as "strained credulity," calling his claim that he always kept his arms to his side "carefully constructed."

The Crown had sought a 5-year sentence; the defence argued for 2½ to 3 years. In imposing 3½ years, Justice Oviatt said the sentence would "denounce Alleyne's conduct and deter others from harming children, while recognizing the accused's prior good character and lack of criminal record."

An earlier charge against Alleyne for sexual offences against another young student was stayed. Alleyne moved to Edmonton from Montreal shortly before 2010 and began teaching piano that year.