Former teacher murdered in idyllic town built by Disney is accused of sexually abusing his pupils
Former teacher murdered in idyllic town built by Disney is accused of being a 'cunning paedophile predator'
- Matteo Patrick Giovanditto, 58, was found dead at his home in Celebration, Florida, U.S. in November 2010
- The homeless man due to stand trial for his murder claims he flew into a rage after Giovanditto tried to sexually assault him
- Former pupils from two of the schools where Giovanditto worked have claimed they were molested by the teacher during the 1980s
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'Dark past': The murdered 58-year-old has been accused of sexually assaulting his pupils while teaching in Florida
The retired teacher whose brutal murder rocked a picture-perfect town designed by Disney has been accused of having a history of sexually abusing his male pupils.
The violent murder of life-long Disney fan Matteo Patrick Giovanditto, who was found bludgeoned to death at his home in Celebration, Florida, U.S., in 2010, was the first in the history of the nostalgic homage to small-town America built south of Disney World.
David-Israel Zenon Murillo, the homeless man who is set to face trial for the murder of the 58-year-old, told police he flew into a rage after Mr Giovanditto tried to sexually assault him.
Now a number of former pupils have claimed the 'charismatic' teacher know as Mr G - who was said to be known for rewarding his pupils' achievements in the classroom with weekend trips to Disney World and sleepovers at his house - molested them during the 1980s.
An anonymous mother told The Daily Beast that Giovanditto - who she has described as a 'cunning paedophile predator' - developed a close relationship with her 10-year-old son when she enrolled him in a summer camp at the Crossroads Academy in Florida, while Giovanditto was head teacher.
The single mother said the teacher appeared to take her son under his wing - even treating him to trips abroad to countries including Mexico, Japan and China - until the boy suddenly cut all ties with Giovanditto at the age of 14. She claims she later learned her son's 'mentor' had been sexually abusing him for years.
Accused: David-Israel Zenon Murillo claims Giovanditto gave him a beer laced with drugs then tried to have sex with him
A former pupil at Lehrman Day School, a private Jewish school where Giovanditto began teaching after relocating to Florida from Arizona in 1981, also told the news website he had had 'sexual contact' with his teacher during the mid-1980s.
Describing himself as a 'pretty quiet kid', the former student said the teacher had taken an interest in him and 'pushed him to excel', and that the pair quickly began spending time together outside of school hours. Named only as 'D', the man said the sexual contact between himself and his teacher stopped only when his mother suddenly banned him from seeing Giovanditto outside of the classroom.
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ShareHe claimed it was only with hindsight he realised what had taken place amounted to abuse.
He said: 'It had not really occurred to me. But thinking about it with perspective it was like, God, that was wrong.'
Giovanditto, who was raised in Boston, moved from school to school during his teaching career but there is no evidence to suggest the moves were because of any allegations made against him.
Rowena Kovler, principal at Lehrman while Giovanditto was a teacher there, described him as an 'excellent employee' who was 'adored' by his students.
'Wrong': The mother of a child attending summer camp at the Crossroads Academy in Florida in the '80s, now Kentwood Preparatory School (above), has claimed Giovanditto sexually abused her son 'for years'
A spokesman for the former Crossroads Academy, now Kentwood Preparatory School, said he had a clean record, while Rebecca Hendricks, who worked with Giovanditto at the now defunct Villa Oasis boarding school in Arizona, said he was 'phenomenally brilliant' but also strange and narcissistic.
She said: 'He stayed very distant from adults and he got very into the kids. I don't think it struck me as predatory back then.'
Other former pupils described close relationships with Giovanditto, but said their teacher was never inappropriate towards them.
William Wilders, an ex-Villa Oasis student, said he was aware his relationship with his teacher was the subject of gossip.
'People all through the Villa thought bizarre things were happening between me and G,' he said.
'But he never tried anything with me.'
'Idyllic': The body of the former teacher was discovered by neighbours in the Disney-built town of Celebration, Florida
Neighbours discovered Giovanditto's body on the kitchen floor of his Celebration home in November 2010.
David-Israel Murillo, the homeless man charged with his murder, told police Giovanditto had approached him and offered him money to wash his car over the Thanksgiving weekend.
He claimed Giovanditto gave him a beer, and that he then fell asleep and later awoke to find the former teacher on top of him attempting to sexually assault him.
The now 30-year-old said he flew into a rage and bludgeoned Giovanditto with an axe he found in a closet.
The murder trial is due to begin next month.
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