A former piano student of a convicted Sydney sex offender has told a royal commission of his repeated abuse.
The victim appeared at a public hearing on Thursday to investigate allegations of sexual abuse by Victor Makarov, a former piano teacher at the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) in Sydney.
“Makarov would abuse me to some extent at almost even lesson that I had with him in Pymble, at least 90 percent of the time,” CAA told the commission.
CAA was just 13 when Makarov began sexually assaulting him at the AIM premises as well as at Makarov’s home in mid-2002. The abuse lasted for a period of about 18 months.
The royal commission was on Thursday told that the young boy was forced to masturbate, watch pornography and sodomised.
"When the abuse was happening, I just gave up, thinking I deserved what was happening to me and that it was inevitable," CAA told the commission.
"At the time, I just thought it was part of what I had to do to become a successful concert pianist."
The commission’s public investigation into two Australian performing arts centres began on Wednesday and will continue to investigate allegations of sexual abuse that Makarov committed against students of the AIM from 2002-2011.
Counsel Assisting David Lloyd opened the hearing on Wednesday and told the commission that Makarov continued to teach at AIM despite being charged with 11 sex offences.
“Makarov continued to teach at AIM until he voluntarily took leave in July 2004. After that leave, he continued to teach AIM students at his home, seemingly until he was convicted in December 2004,” Lloyd told the commission.
The hearing will also investigate allegations of abuse committed by former dance teacher and director of Sydney dance school, ‘RG Dance’ studio, Grant Davies.
Lloyd told the commission on Wednesday that the hearing would examine how Davies “groomed” his students and their parents as a “prolific user” of online messages and mobile phones. He warned that the incoming evidence would be confronting.
"From Grant Davies to the girl: "Love sharing sexy pics, what do you think of my willy?"
And then from Grant Davies to the girl: "I want to get sexy with you".
The once-respected dance teacher was arrested in May 2013 when his wife at the time contacted the police after finding inappropriate messages that had been sent to a 12 year-old-girl.
He pleaded guilty to multiple child sex abuse and child pornography offences in 2015.
The inquiry into RG Dance and AIM will continue in the coming days, and will see up to 23 witnesses provide evidence.