Convicted pedophile’s dance instructor job exposed

A child sex offender convicted this year of sexually assaulting a teenage pupil is still working as a dance instructor, news.com.au can reveal.

Nina Funnell

@ninafunnell

4 min read

November 26, 2024 - 2:11PM

EXCLUSIVE

Convicted child sex offender Jon Garnett is still working as a dance instructor at Mornington Dance Studio in Victoria, despite being convicted in April this year of indecently sexually assaulting a 17-year-old pupil in 2012, when he was 33 years old.

According to recent social media posts published by Mornington Dance Studio, Garnett is working as the studio’s principal teacher and is also offering private lessons.

News.com.au contacted both Garnett and Mornington Dance Studios who chose not to comment.

In 2012, Garnett lured his teen pupil Grace* back to his home under the pretence that they were there to watch a video of a dance competition they were preparing for.

Jon 'Jonny' Garnett was convicted of indecently sexually assaulting a teenage pupil. Picture: Supplied

He is still working as a dance instructor.

The girl, who had attended the studio from the age of 13, assumed she was safe.

Once alone with his victim, Garnett fed the schoolgirl vodka before indecently sexually assaulting her by kissing her and groping her breasts through clothing.

Afterwards, he told her not to tell anyone or there would be “consequences”.

Grace, who had been a virgin before that night, dropped out of dance class and abandoned her dreams of becoming a professional dancer.

She suffered nightmares, flashbacks, chest pains and hair loss.

In 2021, Grace reported Garnett to police, and after a gruelling three-year process, he was found guilty in 2024 of indecently sexually assaulting the pupil. He was acquitted of the more serious charge of rape.

Garnett is currently appealing.

READ GRACE’S FULL STORY HERE: Pedophile dance teacher Jon ‘Jonny’ Garnett unmasked

Grace reported the assault in 2021, resulting in Garnett being found guilty of indecent sexual assault this year. Picture: Supplied

“He only got 240 hours of community service and never went to jail,” said Grace, now aged 29.

“It makes me sick to my stomach.

“Most people in Mornington and the wider dance community still have no idea he has been found guilty of indecent sexual assault. They don’t know what he did to me.

“He never actually stopped teaching throughout the investigation and trial.”

News.com.au has obtained multiple photos and screenshots posted on the Mornington Dance Studio social media accounts which appear to confirm that Garnett continued to teach students throughout the court proceedings, after charges were first laid in 2021.

Jon 'Jonny' Garnett. Picture: Supplied

According to the Mornington Dance Studio website, Jonny Garnett is listed as the principal dance teacher for the studio and has danced “on the world circuit”.

Its Semester 2 calendar for 2024 lists him as teaching several classes across Tuesdays and Thursdays, including Latin, Rumba and Samba, Cha Cha, Waltz, Slow Tango, Fox trot, Quickstep and Social.

“Some of those dance styles are very sensual in nature and require physical contact,” said Grace, who studied Latin, Ballroom and Latin American with Garnett.

“I noticed he would take advantage of this. His hands would linger,” she later told police.

Mornington Dance Studio is advertising a Christmas event on its social media accounts, which included admission prices for children. Picture: Instagram

Since being contacted by news.com.au, Mornington Dance Studio has updated its Facebook and Instagram pages to say it only teaches students over the age of 18.

However, posts that were published on the studio’s social media accounts after Garnett had been charged and had his working with children check removed show children in attendance at the studio’s events. Those posts were deleted after news.com.au approached for comment. The studio is still promoting a Christmas event for next month, with an admission price for children.

Mornington Dance Studio did not respond to news.com.au’s request for comment.

Grace has joined news.com.au’s #TakeTheStand campaign. Picture: Nicki Connolly/news.com.au

Today, Grace has joined news.com.au’s Take the Stand campaign.

The campaign is led by survivors for survivors to make the criminal justice system less traumatising.

The campaign is pushing for eight significant reforms to how sexual assault survivors are treated during investigation and court proceedings.

Nina Funnell, who created the campaign, said: “over the last two years I’ve followed 20 survivors through their journey with the criminal justice system. Survivors hold detailed knowledge of how the system is working in practice, and where the reforms are needed”.

Grace, who had access to a court support dog called Lucy during the trial, said it’s critical that others have access to the program.

“Lucy was way better than the social worker. (After one very distressing adjournment) I sat on the floor and hugged Lucy,” said Grace.

“Being with Lucy felt like I had the support I needed at that moment. I didn’t have to talk or respond, I could just sit and be with Lucy. This was incredibly therapeutic.

“A program like that needs to be properly resourced, so there are enough dogs to manage the caseload.”

Grace, pictured with court support dog Lucy. Picture: Nicki Connolly/news.com.au

The campaign is also pushing for protection of survivor counselling notes, after multiple survivors dropped out of counselling once their abuser was given access to their highly private files.

“When my offender was allowed to access my counselling notes, I felt like that took away the last little piece of emotional privacy I had,” said Grace.

“What you say in counselling is supposed to be sacred … There were things in those notes I hadn’t even discussed with my fiance, like how the abuse impacts intimacy for me now.

“It led to me not seeking further psychological treatment at a time when I really needed it.”

The campaign is also pushing for reduction in delays through proper case management, better access to justice navigators, increased availability of rape kits and long haul support for survivors in the community.

“I can’t change what happened to me but I want to speak out to protect others and to change our current outdated court system to make it more supportive, fair and trauma informed,” Grace said.