The creator of a ballet academy in Greater Victoria has been convicted of two sexual offenses related to his involvement with a 15-year-old student. David Beales faced accusations of sexual interference, sexual exploitation, and distributing sexually explicit material to the girl, with the court ruling in his favor for the third charge.
During his trial at the B.C. Supreme Court in Victoria, it was revealed that Beales managed the Maple Leaf School of Russian Ballet, where he first encountered the girl at the age of nine. She looked up to him, aspiring to pursue a career as a professional dancer.
According to the recent B.C. Supreme Court verdict, when the girl’s parents prohibited her from attending the school, Beales proposed a scholarship arrangement exempting her from tuition and attendance fees.
The girl testified that she became pregnant by Beales, experiencing a miscarriage in the summer of 2020 before her Grade 11 studies, and subsequently dropping out of school. Justice Liliane Bantourakis, in finding Beales guilty of the two charges, discredited his testimony, affirming the girl’s credibility and the Crown’s evidence supporting the accusations.
The judge highlighted Beales’ authority and sway over the girl, which was amplified by her vulnerability and seclusion. Despite the temporary closure of the school due to the COVID-19 pandemic in November 2020, their sexual relationship persisted until 2022.