By Jorge Casuso

December 20, 2024 -- The LA County District Attorney charged a 41-year-old music teacher arrested by Santa Monica police with sexually abusing a 14-year-old piano student earlier this year.

Hovanes John Jihanyan, 41, was charged with six counts of sexually abusing a minor between August 1 and November 9, District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Friday

The victim, who was Jihanyan's piano student at the French Conservatory of Music in Beverly Hills turned 14 during the time of the alleged abuse.

Jihanyan was charged with one felony count each of:

• Continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14.
  
  
• Forcible oral copulation of a minor victim over 14 years,
  
  
• Sexual penetration of a minor under 16 years,
  
  
• Unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor under 16 years,
  
  
• Sodomy of a child under 16 years, and
  
  
• Lewd act upon a child age 14 or 15.

"I am appalled by these horrific acts of sexual abuse against a vulnerable child," Hochman said in a statement.

"Our office has a long history of aggressively prosecuting child abuse cases, and we are fully committed to seeking justice for the victim and their family.

"We believe there may be additional victims, and we encourage anyone with information to come forward and contact the Santa Monica Police Department."

Santa Monica Police detectives launched an investigation on November 19 after receiving a report that a piano teacher was sexually abusing his teenage student.

On December 12, detectives, with the assistance of uniformed and undercover officers, arrested Jihanyan in Encino after "an intense and thorough" investigation.

"The incidents took place at the student’s home, teacher’s vehicle, as well as the teacher’s studio, French Conservatory of Music, in Beverly Hills," Aklufi said.

Jihanyan, who police said has no prior criminal history, was also booked for possession of child pornography and sexual exploitation of a minor, Aklufi said.

Jihanyan is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on January 15 in Department 30 of the Airport Courthouse.

If convicted as charged, he faces a maximum sentence of 29 years in state prison and will be required to register as a sex offender for life, according to the DA's office.

The case is being prosecuted by the office’s Sex Crimes Division and investigated by the Santa Monica Police Department.

Anyone with additional information about the suspect or has been the victim of abuse by the suspect should call Det. Lizette Hardgrave at (310) 458-2256, Sgt. David Haro at (310) 458-8952, or the Watch Commander desk 24 hours a day at (310) 458-8427.