Piano Teacher Who Molested RSM Girls Gets 100+ Years To Life

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA — A south Orange County music teacher was sentenced Friday to 100 years to life in prison for molesting eight girls ranging in ages 7 to 15 over the course of 18 years, OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced.

John Mordecai Scott, 65, was immediately taken into custody following his trial, where he was sentenced to 100 years to life, Spitzer said. Scott was convicted in March on 26 sex-related counts, according to the OC District Attorney's office.

Scott was originally accused of molesting 11 girls while working as a piano teacher at Music Maker Piano Studio in Rancho Santa Margarita, Coast Band Music in Mission Viejo, and at his Lake Forest home.

One witness did not wish to testify before OC Superior Court Judge Steve Bromberg, and charges related to another victim were dismissed before the verdict was reached, City News Service reported.

The first crime happened in 1996 with a girl who was groped during a piano lesson.

Another girl, who was 11-years-old when she took lessons from Scott in his Lake Forest home, said that he would leave pornographic magazines lying around the house, City News Service reported.

In addition, the OC District Attorney's office reported that Scott claimed to be a doctor while molesting one of his underage students. He also photographed and filmed at least one of his victims.

Scott was also reported to have pornographic photo manipulations of his students and a large amount of child pornography on his computer, according to an OCDA news release.

The trauma these young girls were forced to endure by someone they should have been able to trust is unforgivable,” OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a news release.

"Pedophiles will not stop victimizing innocent children until they are removed from society. No child and no parent should have to suffer what these victims have suffered."