# Sarasota Karate Teacher charged with Sexual Battery on student



## Gentle Fist (May 25, 2012)

From my hometown...  Absolutely despicable :angry:

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20120309/ARTICLE/120309506


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## Gentle Fist (May 25, 2012)

And an update...   even more victims 

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20120316/ARTICLE/120319638


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## Carol (May 25, 2012)

Ugh, that's terrible.   Sorry to hear it happened so close to home


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## seasoned (May 25, 2012)

The worst of the worst. When you gain the confidence of people, and then take advantage of them, makes my blood boil. Instead of building up lives, he has destroyed innocence.


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## Gentle Fist (May 25, 2012)

Another disturbing thing is reading the message forum attached to the article (via a Facebook plugin).  Many of his current and former students are coming on to the board to defend this guy "their beloved Sensei" and how the Police got it all wrong; that there is no way this sweet man would ever do such a thing and how he was so kinda hearted and yadda yadda... 

Amazing how blind some people become even when faced with the truth...

Thankfully he will never be close to a child ever again.  Hope all the years in Karate taught him something, because where he is going, he will definitely need it


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## JWLuiza (May 25, 2012)

Similar to the priest scandals. These people are very good at compartmentalizing.


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## Carol (May 26, 2012)

Aye, a lady who commented mentioned how many people were talking about how awesome the teacher is -- and noting that such a reaction is what keeps victims from coming forward.  She's absolutely right IMO.


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## JWLuiza (May 27, 2012)

Reading the facebook comments is really saddening. Does anyone know if there is truth to the multiple charges currently and taped confession?


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## Carol (May 27, 2012)

Multiple charges, yes.  More girls have come forward.

Not sure about the taped confession.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20120316/ARTICLE/120319638

Edit:  

Googled another article -- not a taped confession, but taped evidence.  There were CALEA taps of a call between the perp and one of his victim where the perp made multiple references to having sex with his victim.

http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/loca...xual-battery-on-a/k0_iwsFHjkmNj6hj3wGy5Q.cspx


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## Buka (May 27, 2012)

In the Martial world, this ugliness has happened with far too much frequency over the years. Does anybody have any theories as to why? It seems it's a higher percentage than other professions with teaching, leadership or control as a key ingredient.


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## JWLuiza (May 28, 2012)

I think it's probably at the base rate of pedophilia in the population or slightly higher given the attraction to such jobs. I don't think it's anything specific about martial arts vs. say teaching. We just notice it more as martial artists.


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## SenseiRuss (Feb 4, 2013)

On a vacation that I was planning to Sarasota, I was going to introduce myself to Kyoshi John Garcia, at his dojo, just before his arrest. He and I had similar USA Goju training roots. I had never met him, but had heard, through Facebook, good things about him and the tournaments he ran (Sarasota Martial Arts Challenge). He was highly regarded within the NYC USA Goju karate community.

I was shocked to read the news reports about what he certainly seems guilty as sin of doing. I feel terrible for the victims of his abuse and can only imagine how his wife and 5 kids feel! His son, a young black belt, has continued to to teach his father's classes, now that they have no instructor. I hope his students can carry on and train, and that his son can cope with his dad probably never being a free man again, considering the 8 separate charges against him.

What a sad and cautionary story.

-Sensei Russ


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