Pattaya – The Russian musician at the center of a child rape allegation has flown out of Thailand with the approval of a Thai court to complete an engagement with a Russian orchestra.

Mikhail Pletnev, one of Russia’s top musicians and founder of the Russian National Orchestra, has been charged with raping a 14 year old boy in the resort town of Pattaya, where he has two homes and several businesses. He was granted bail by the criminal court on condition he returns to the court on 18 July.

The charge result from an earlier arrest of a Thai man, who apparently named Pletnev as one of his clients in a child sex ring, and a boy later told police that Pletnev had raped him twice while he was a guest in the musician’s house.

Pletnev, a well respected and accomplished pianist and conductor, has strongly denied the allegations, saying they were a “misunderstanding”.

Local child welfare activists fear the Plentnev may skip bail and not return to Thailand. The bail was reported to be 300,000baht, about US$9,400.