Ballet Academy Owners Appear In Court For Alleged Sex With 17-Year-Old Student
The married owners and operators of a Louisville ballet academy have been arrested after police say they sexually abused a 17-year-old girl who was a student and employee there.
Police say the victim was a 17-year-old girl who was employed at the Fleur-De-Lis Ballet Academy, located at the Mellwood Arts Center in Louisville. She was also a student there. According to police, the studio is owned and operated by 54-year-old Declan McAuley and 35-year-old Ariadne McAuley.
According to arrest warrants, Declan McAuley and Ariadne McAuley both engaged in sex acts with the victim on at least seven occasions at their Crestwood home. Police say Declan McAuley and Ariadne McAuley also had sexual relations with each other in the presence of the victim.
When police confronted Declan McAuley about the alleged abuse, they allegedly found images of the victim sleeping naked on his cell phone
Police say the victim was a 17-year-old girl who was employed at the Fleur-De-Lis Ballet Academy, located at the Mellwood Arts Center in Louisville. She was also a student there. According to police, the studio is owned and operated by 54-year-old Declan McAuley and 35-year-old Ariadne McAuley.
According to arrest warrants, Declan McAuley and Ariadne McAuley both engaged in sex acts with the victim on at least seven occasions at their Crestwood home. Police say Declan McAuley and Ariadne McAuley also had sexual relations with each other in the presence of the victim.
“Between August 11, 2017 and December 10, 2017, at their home in Crestwood, both Mcauleys, engaged in sexual acts with the victim,” according to Oldham County Police.
Oldham County Police’s investigation revealed that the sexual acts happened at least seven times.
Police say the abuse came to light when the victim was interviewed at the Kosair Child Advocacy Center.
When police confronted Declan McAuley about the alleged abuse, they allegedly found images of the victim sleeping naked on his cell phone.
Both Declan and Ariadne McAuley were arrested on Tuesday and charged with first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree engaging in an unlawful transaction with a minor. They are currently being held in the Oldham County Detention Center. They are scheduled back in court on June 20.
Police are asking any other possible victims of assault to come forward.
The Fleur-De-Lis Ballet Academy was originally listed as a vendor on the city of Louisville’s Cultural Pass, a pass that granted children free access to several of Louisville’s arts and cultural institutions. As of Wednesday afternoon, the dance academy was no longer listed on the Cultural Pass website.
In 2012 Ariadne relocated to Louisville, Kentucky where she had the privilege of joining the Faculty of the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts, soon becoming Chair of its Dance Department. During her initial time at GSA the inspiration struck for the creation of Fleur-De-Lis Academy of Ballet and all of its subsequent programing, all of which exist to serve the individual students of Louisville and beyond as a home for compassionate excellence in arts education.