Singing coach David Jaanz texted victim: ‘I would have never have hurt you or broken your trust’

A 62-year-old coach who sexually assaulted a young female student attempted to gaslight his victim by claiming it was a “relaxation” technique to help get her out of her comfort zone.

Celebrity singing coach David Jaanz committed a vile sexual attack on a female student. Picture: Instagram

During a vile sexual attack, once nationally famed singing coach David Jaanz tried to convince his victim he was “one of the good guys”.

Alone in an isolated studio in Oakleigh, Jaanz, 62, sexually assaulted his young female student under the sickening guise of a ‘relaxation’ technique he said he learnt at an elite institution to help performers get out of their comfort zone.

“You’ve got to get over this fear of people. You can’t be like this as a singer,” Jaanz said, according to his victim.

The disgraced coach put his hands beneath his 27-year-old victim’s clothing, rubbing her chest, stomach and thighs and repeatedly kissing her body over several terrifying minutes on November 5 last year.

Text messages between disgraced singing coach David Jaanz and his victim.

At one point, the woman said Jaanz ordered her to lie on the ground, close her eyes and not flinch, saying the ‘exercise’ was necessary because she “didn’t trust enough” and needed to “break down her boundaries” to become a better performer.

“At the time I felt it wasn’t real. I know now in hindsight that I went into survival mode. My mind was thinking ‘I just have to survive this’,” the woman recalled.

The assault stopped soon after Jaanz learnt his victim had her period.

Sick to her stomach, the woman said she then endured the humiliation of being ordered to stand and sing.

Deltra Goodrem with singing coach David Jaanz.

It was then Jaanz told her she was one of his best students and everything he did for her was “in love”, she said.

Details of the assault by the former celebrity singing coach are being shared for the first time by his victim, who wants other young women to be aware of the tactics used by predators.

She believes she was groomed by Jaanz and that he took advantage of their power imbalance.

Text messages exchanged after the assault show attempts by Jaanz to gaslight his victim.

The woman wrote: “You unbuttoned my pants and rubbed my legs far too close to my private areas. And you touched my chest and ignored me when I flinched clearly very uncomfortable.”

“I have been frozen all week and pretended it didn’t happen but it did.”

Jaanz replied: “Done in innocence would never have hurt you or gone any further. Never. You know that. Never.”

“My heart is broken tonight and I am so hurt. Feel like I have lost someone I love dearly.”

Jaanz then tried to convince the woman the assault was a relaxation technique he’d learnt at The National Theatre in St Kilda and that she “took it wrong”.

“It’s a power technique to break boxes and in any acting class this is what they do,” he texted.

“It’s trust and pushing boundaries … I would have never have hurt you or broken your trust.

“Sorry you took it wrong and I am sorry I upset you.”

The woman had been coached by Jaanz since she was a child, viewed him as a father figure and trusted him completely.

She said he knew her “goals and dreams” to make it in the music industry and the critical role he played in her future.

“He knew how ambitious I was and set things up so that he was the key to our success in the music industry,” she said.

“He was so powerful. All his students consistently win the TV shows (The Voice, Australian Idol) and are sent to the US – that’s where all Australian singers want to go.

“He used that power. That day, he knew what he wanted to do and thought he’d manipulated me enough that he could do it.”

The highly successful Jaanz International Singing Academy abruptly closed following the coach’s conviction last month, leaving hundreds of young performers in the lurch and several teachers jobless.

During sentencing, magistrate Kay Robertson said she considered imposing a community corrections order on Jaanz but due to him relocating to QLD she was unable to and instead sentenced him to a two-year-good behaviour bond and ordered he pay $5000 to the court fund.

His victim said it was a “slap on the wrist” and outrageous Jaanz was able to influence his sentence.

“The court system is broken. How did the courts allow him to do that, especially control his own sentencing?” she said.

“But in some sense of the word, there is justice because he’s been convicted for what he did.”