http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/12/19/karate-teacher-gets-10-years-for-molesting-teen
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POSTED ON Saturday, December 19, 2009 AT 12:26AM
Karate teacher gets 10 years in prison for molesting teen
Mark Morey
Yakima Herald-Republic
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KRIS HOLLAND/Yakima Herald-Republic Paul Barr awaits his arraignment in a Yakima County Jail courtroom for allegedly raping a minor. Barr was an instructor at Yakima School of Karate and the alleged victim was one of his students.
YAKIMA, Wash. -- A former karate instructor was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison after being convicted of molesting a 13-year-old student.
The sentence against Paul Barr was the maximum allowed under state law.
Deputy prosecutor Patti Powers said the prison term was appropriate given Barr's conduct, but defense attorney Blaine Connaughton said he expected the conviction to be appealed.
Jurors late last year found Barr, now 46, guilty of two counts of second-degree child molestation involving a 13-year-old girl. She was a student at the Yakima School of Karate, where Barr taught in 2002. Barr was charged with rape after the allegations surfaced in 2007, but jurors settled on the lesser charge in order to reach a verdict.
Problems with a search warrant resulted in the dismissal of voyeurism charges involving two other young girls, one a student at the karate school.
Connaughton contended the rape case against Barr lacked corroborating witnesses or evidence.
However, prosecution witnesses said Barr was often seen doing inappropriate stretching exercises with the girl. Another prosecution witness, who was then 16, testified she had sex with Barr around the same time.
The usual sentence would have been 31 to 41 months, but the jury made special findings that he was in a continuing relationship with an underage victim and abused his position of trust.
Connaughton said he asked for a sentence at the low end of the standard range.
He said appeal issues will include statements from several jurors after the trial that one jury member had said during deliberations that she had been sexually assaulted. She said that was not the case when attorneys were selecting the jury, and later said police had not treated the case as a sexual assault.
Yakima County Superior Court Judge James Lust declined to grant a new trial, ruling that jurors were allowed to consider their life experience in reaching a verdict.
In addition, one juror later told the judge that she felt pressured to support the rape charge.
After the trial, the jury foreman said the majority of the panel felt that Barr should have been convicted of rape, but a single juror did not agree. She was apparently confused by the case's timeline and questioned whether an adult would have raped such a young girl, the foreman said.
That prompted the jury to settle on the molestation charge.
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120808-PaulBarr_web.jpg ¬
(link not active, page not found on original server: archive of article shown here below)
POSTED ON Saturday, December 19, 2009 AT 12:26AM
Karate teacher gets 10 years in prison for molesting teen
Mark Morey
Yakima Herald-Republic
Buy YHR Photos
Enlarge photo
KRIS HOLLAND/Yakima Herald-Republic Paul Barr awaits his arraignment in a Yakima County Jail courtroom for allegedly raping a minor. Barr was an instructor at Yakima School of Karate and the alleged victim was one of his students.
YAKIMA, Wash. -- A former karate instructor was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison after being convicted of molesting a 13-year-old student.
The sentence against Paul Barr was the maximum allowed under state law.
Deputy prosecutor Patti Powers said the prison term was appropriate given Barr's conduct, but defense attorney Blaine Connaughton said he expected the conviction to be appealed.
Jurors late last year found Barr, now 46, guilty of two counts of second-degree child molestation involving a 13-year-old girl. She was a student at the Yakima School of Karate, where Barr taught in 2002. Barr was charged with rape after the allegations surfaced in 2007, but jurors settled on the lesser charge in order to reach a verdict.
Problems with a search warrant resulted in the dismissal of voyeurism charges involving two other young girls, one a student at the karate school.
Connaughton contended the rape case against Barr lacked corroborating witnesses or evidence.
However, prosecution witnesses said Barr was often seen doing inappropriate stretching exercises with the girl. Another prosecution witness, who was then 16, testified she had sex with Barr around the same time.
The usual sentence would have been 31 to 41 months, but the jury made special findings that he was in a continuing relationship with an underage victim and abused his position of trust.
Connaughton said he asked for a sentence at the low end of the standard range.
He said appeal issues will include statements from several jurors after the trial that one jury member had said during deliberations that she had been sexually assaulted. She said that was not the case when attorneys were selecting the jury, and later said police had not treated the case as a sexual assault.
Yakima County Superior Court Judge James Lust declined to grant a new trial, ruling that jurors were allowed to consider their life experience in reaching a verdict.
In addition, one juror later told the judge that she felt pressured to support the rape charge.
After the trial, the jury foreman said the majority of the panel felt that Barr should have been convicted of rape, but a single juror did not agree. She was apparently confused by the case's timeline and questioned whether an adult would have raped such a young girl, the foreman said.
That prompted the jury to settle on the molestation charge.
http://www.yakima-herald.com/images/photos/2008/12/16/120808-PaulBarr_web.jpg
120808-PaulBarr_web.jpg ¬
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2008/12/08/karate-teacher-guilty-of-molesting-student
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Karate teacher guilty of molesting student
YAKIMA -- A former Yakima karate instructor was found guilty this afternoon of molesting a teenage student.
The jury in Paul Daniel Barr’s trial deadlocked on the original counts of second-degree rape and settled for the lesser molestation charge in order to avoid a mistrial, the panel’s foreman said.
The 45-year-old Barr faces two more possible trials in which he is accused of voyeurism and indecent liberties involving other victims. He no longer teaches at the Yakima School of Karate.
Barr was accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl at the school.
Defense attorney Paul Connaughton countered that the girl’s story changed numerous times and that her command of timeframes was confusing at best.
Connaughton said a new trial may be requested.
Deputy prosecutor Patti Powers thanked the jurors for their consideration of a difficult case. She said she was still calculating Barr’s potential sentence.
In the other two pending cases, Barr is accused of possessing pictures of two teenage girls who spent time at his house in Moxee. One had pictures of her taken in the bathroom, apparently through a keyhole; the other photos were taken while the girl was passed out after drinking.
The girls told police they were between 14 and 16 years old at the time.
-- Mark Morey
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Karate teacher guilty of molesting student
YAKIMA -- A former Yakima karate instructor was found guilty this afternoon of molesting a teenage student.
The jury in Paul Daniel Barr’s trial deadlocked on the original counts of second-degree rape and settled for the lesser molestation charge in order to avoid a mistrial, the panel’s foreman said.
The 45-year-old Barr faces two more possible trials in which he is accused of voyeurism and indecent liberties involving other victims. He no longer teaches at the Yakima School of Karate.
Barr was accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl at the school.
Defense attorney Paul Connaughton countered that the girl’s story changed numerous times and that her command of timeframes was confusing at best.
Connaughton said a new trial may be requested.
Deputy prosecutor Patti Powers thanked the jurors for their consideration of a difficult case. She said she was still calculating Barr’s potential sentence.
In the other two pending cases, Barr is accused of possessing pictures of two teenage girls who spent time at his house in Moxee. One had pictures of her taken in the bathroom, apparently through a keyhole; the other photos were taken while the girl was passed out after drinking.
The girls told police they were between 14 and 16 years old at the time.
-- Mark Morey
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2008/12/08/ex-karate-teacher-found-guilty-of-molesting-13-year-old
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POSTED ON Monday, December 08, 2008 AT 11:21PM
Ex-karate teacher found guilty of molesting 13-year-old
By MARK MOREY
Yakima Herald-Republic
Jurors came within one vote of convicting a former Yakima karate instructor of raping a 13-year-old girl, but they settled for a lesser molestation charge to avoid deadlocking, the panel's foreman said Monday.
The jurors -- three men and nine women -- in the trial against Paul Daniel Barr announced their verdict Monday afternoon in Yakima County Superior Court.
Barr, 45, was convicted of two counts of second-degree molestation, which were offered as lesser alternatives to the initial child rape charges. A sentencing date was not set.
Jury foreman Brian Goodell said jurors, who got the case Friday afternoon, had staked out their positions by the time they went home for the weekend. The holdout juror didn't change her mind despite repeated questioning by her colleagues, Goodell said.
"There's no way that he shouldn't have been convicted of rape," Goodell said. "I'm actually very disappointed in the justice system right now."
The juror, whom Goodell declined to name, appeared to struggle with the idea that an older man could have raped a 13-year-old, the foreman said.
She also had difficulty with the timeline surrounding the allegations, which Goodell said was prompted by the way defense attorney Brian Connaughton phrased his questions about that aspect of the case.
Barr, now 45, was accused of fondling and abusing the girl in 2002 at the Yakima School of Karate, where he was an instructor and she was a student.
Connaughton countered that the case lacked corroborating witnesses or physical evidence. He challenged the girl's testimony, saying that her story changed multiple times and that her account of time frames was confusing at best.
Prosecution witnesses said Barr was often seen doing inappropriate stretching exercises with the girl. Another prosecution witness, who was then 16, testified that she had sex with Barr around the same time.
Connaughton said afterward that a new trial may be requested on appeal.
Deputy prosecutor Patti Powers said she was still calculating Barr's potential sentence, which includes special findings on both counts that he was in a continuing relationship with an underage victim and abused his position of trust.
In the other two pending cases, Barr is accused of possessing explicit pictures of two teenage girls who spent time at his house in Moxee, as well as taking indecent liberties with one of them. One had pictures of her taken in the bathroom, apparently through a hole or keyhole; the other girl was photographed while passed out after drinking.
The girls told police they were between 14 and 16 years old at the time.
* Mark Morey can be reached at 577-7671 or [email protected].
(link not active, page not found on original server: archive of article shown here below)
POSTED ON Monday, December 08, 2008 AT 11:21PM
Ex-karate teacher found guilty of molesting 13-year-old
By MARK MOREY
Yakima Herald-Republic
Jurors came within one vote of convicting a former Yakima karate instructor of raping a 13-year-old girl, but they settled for a lesser molestation charge to avoid deadlocking, the panel's foreman said Monday.
The jurors -- three men and nine women -- in the trial against Paul Daniel Barr announced their verdict Monday afternoon in Yakima County Superior Court.
Barr, 45, was convicted of two counts of second-degree molestation, which were offered as lesser alternatives to the initial child rape charges. A sentencing date was not set.
Jury foreman Brian Goodell said jurors, who got the case Friday afternoon, had staked out their positions by the time they went home for the weekend. The holdout juror didn't change her mind despite repeated questioning by her colleagues, Goodell said.
"There's no way that he shouldn't have been convicted of rape," Goodell said. "I'm actually very disappointed in the justice system right now."
The juror, whom Goodell declined to name, appeared to struggle with the idea that an older man could have raped a 13-year-old, the foreman said.
She also had difficulty with the timeline surrounding the allegations, which Goodell said was prompted by the way defense attorney Brian Connaughton phrased his questions about that aspect of the case.
Barr, now 45, was accused of fondling and abusing the girl in 2002 at the Yakima School of Karate, where he was an instructor and she was a student.
Connaughton countered that the case lacked corroborating witnesses or physical evidence. He challenged the girl's testimony, saying that her story changed multiple times and that her account of time frames was confusing at best.
Prosecution witnesses said Barr was often seen doing inappropriate stretching exercises with the girl. Another prosecution witness, who was then 16, testified that she had sex with Barr around the same time.
Connaughton said afterward that a new trial may be requested on appeal.
Deputy prosecutor Patti Powers said she was still calculating Barr's potential sentence, which includes special findings on both counts that he was in a continuing relationship with an underage victim and abused his position of trust.
In the other two pending cases, Barr is accused of possessing explicit pictures of two teenage girls who spent time at his house in Moxee, as well as taking indecent liberties with one of them. One had pictures of her taken in the bathroom, apparently through a hole or keyhole; the other girl was photographed while passed out after drinking.
The girls told police they were between 14 and 16 years old at the time.
* Mark Morey can be reached at 577-7671 or [email protected].
http://www.keprtv.com/news/13783517.html
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More Details Surface: Yakima Karate Instructor Accused of Child Rape
By Maria Medina Published: Jan 14, 2008 at 7:41 PM PDT Last Updated: Nov 7, 2008 at 12:42 PM PDT
YAKIMA -- A trusted Yakima karate instructor faced more charges Monday for a second alleged sexual abuse victim police had discovered through a search of the suspect's home.
Paul Barr was charged with one count of second and two counts of third degree child rape and sexual exploitation of a minor, bringing the total to 6 counts against him.
The child rape allegations surfaced a few weeks ago when a Yakima School of Karate former student told police Barr had sexually abused her beginning when she was 12.
Since then police found naked pictures of a 14-year-old on Barr's computer, and are continuing their investigating into the possibility there may be more.
Action News spoke to Barr's neighbor, Louis Kreb, who said he's upset and afraid for the safety of his teen daughters.
"I was very angry," Kreb said. "I don't feel that my daughters are safe here with him here."
Police also said they're looking into whether Barr may have made videotapes around his home.
(link not active, page not found on original server: archive of article shown here below)
More Details Surface: Yakima Karate Instructor Accused of Child Rape
By Maria Medina Published: Jan 14, 2008 at 7:41 PM PDT Last Updated: Nov 7, 2008 at 12:42 PM PDT
YAKIMA -- A trusted Yakima karate instructor faced more charges Monday for a second alleged sexual abuse victim police had discovered through a search of the suspect's home.
Paul Barr was charged with one count of second and two counts of third degree child rape and sexual exploitation of a minor, bringing the total to 6 counts against him.
The child rape allegations surfaced a few weeks ago when a Yakima School of Karate former student told police Barr had sexually abused her beginning when she was 12.
Since then police found naked pictures of a 14-year-old on Barr's computer, and are continuing their investigating into the possibility there may be more.
Action News spoke to Barr's neighbor, Louis Kreb, who said he's upset and afraid for the safety of his teen daughters.
"I was very angry," Kreb said. "I don't feel that my daughters are safe here with him here."
Police also said they're looking into whether Barr may have made videotapes around his home.