http://fox5sandiego.com/2014/10/31/karate-teacher-gets-prison-for-sex-with-minor/
Karate teacher gets prison for sex with minor
Posted 3:05 PM, October 31, 2014, by Ashley Jacobs, Updated at 04:51pm, October 31, 2014
SAN DIEGO — A Poway karate instructor who had unlawful sex with a girl over a 3 1/2-year period, beginning when she was 14, was sentenced Friday to four years and four months in state prison.
The judge also handed down hefty fines and orders to attend counseling, as well as register as a sex offender.
Josh Thomas Churchill, who was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life, pleaded guilty last month to 10 charges, including committing a lewd act on a child and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
Churchill, 32, apologized for what he called an “error in judgment,” but Judge Polly Shamoon told the defendant that he abused a position of trust, knowing the victim was a troubled child.
“What you did was destroy a young life,” the judge told the defendant.
Churchill — the owner and operator of United Studios Self Defense Karate Studio — had sex with the girl at various locations, including a car, the karate studio and a cousin’s home, said Deputy District Attorney Lisa Fox.
The prosecutor said Churchill had unprotected sex with the victim even though he knew he had a venereal disease and got the girl pregnant at 16. Churchill told the victim not to tell anyone what happened and that he would leave his wife when the teen turned 18, according to the prosecutor.
The victim took a job working for Churchill but quit when he cut her pay, Fox said.
In May, Churchill got into a physical altercation with the victim’s father over a cell phone that contained graphic text messages, according to the prosecutor.
“This man is a predator,” the victim’s aunt told the judge. “He chose to do the things he did to her.”
She said her niece’s father put his daughter in karate because she had been attacked when she was younger.
The victim, who is now 18, told the judge that she was afraid of Churchill and that he had threatened her.
“This man put me through unspeakable things,” she said.
The victim’s father, identified as John Doe in court, spoke to the judge before the sentencing and said how betrayed his entire family felt.
“This man was trusted with my daughter and he took advantage of her over a long period of time,” he said.
Defense attorney Kerry Armstrong unsuccessfully argued that Churchill — who had no prior record — should be placed on probation and given a year in jail. The judge also rejected Armstrong’s alternative requests for a 90-day prison psychological study or a two-year prison term.
Churchill had family in court to support him Friday afternoon.
Now that she knows her abuser will be behind bars, the victim said she can finally live her life.
“I’m going to continue my martial arts career and move on with my life,” she said.
The defendant — who is a third-degree black belt in karate — was originally charged with 52 counts. He was arrested in June.
PREVIOUS STORIES:
$1M bail set for karate instructor accused of sex assaults
Karate instructor accused of sex with underage girl
Filed in: News
Karate teacher gets prison for sex with minor
Posted 3:05 PM, October 31, 2014, by Ashley Jacobs, Updated at 04:51pm, October 31, 2014
SAN DIEGO — A Poway karate instructor who had unlawful sex with a girl over a 3 1/2-year period, beginning when she was 14, was sentenced Friday to four years and four months in state prison.
The judge also handed down hefty fines and orders to attend counseling, as well as register as a sex offender.
Josh Thomas Churchill, who was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life, pleaded guilty last month to 10 charges, including committing a lewd act on a child and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
Churchill, 32, apologized for what he called an “error in judgment,” but Judge Polly Shamoon told the defendant that he abused a position of trust, knowing the victim was a troubled child.
“What you did was destroy a young life,” the judge told the defendant.
Churchill — the owner and operator of United Studios Self Defense Karate Studio — had sex with the girl at various locations, including a car, the karate studio and a cousin’s home, said Deputy District Attorney Lisa Fox.
The prosecutor said Churchill had unprotected sex with the victim even though he knew he had a venereal disease and got the girl pregnant at 16. Churchill told the victim not to tell anyone what happened and that he would leave his wife when the teen turned 18, according to the prosecutor.
The victim took a job working for Churchill but quit when he cut her pay, Fox said.
In May, Churchill got into a physical altercation with the victim’s father over a cell phone that contained graphic text messages, according to the prosecutor.
“This man is a predator,” the victim’s aunt told the judge. “He chose to do the things he did to her.”
She said her niece’s father put his daughter in karate because she had been attacked when she was younger.
The victim, who is now 18, told the judge that she was afraid of Churchill and that he had threatened her.
“This man put me through unspeakable things,” she said.
The victim’s father, identified as John Doe in court, spoke to the judge before the sentencing and said how betrayed his entire family felt.
“This man was trusted with my daughter and he took advantage of her over a long period of time,” he said.
Defense attorney Kerry Armstrong unsuccessfully argued that Churchill — who had no prior record — should be placed on probation and given a year in jail. The judge also rejected Armstrong’s alternative requests for a 90-day prison psychological study or a two-year prison term.
Churchill had family in court to support him Friday afternoon.
Now that she knows her abuser will be behind bars, the victim said she can finally live her life.
“I’m going to continue my martial arts career and move on with my life,” she said.
The defendant — who is a third-degree black belt in karate — was originally charged with 52 counts. He was arrested in June.
PREVIOUS STORIES:
$1M bail set for karate instructor accused of sex assaults
Karate instructor accused of sex with underage girl
Filed in: News
http://www.10news.com/news/poway-karate-instructor-who-had-sex-with-minor-to-be-sentenced
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Poway karate instructor Josh Churchill sentenced for sex with minor
Kelly Wheeler, City News Service , Steve Fiorina
8:30 AM, Oct 31, 2014
7:39 PM, Oct 31, 2014
KGTV
SAN DIEGO - A Poway karate instructor who had unlawful sex with a girl over a 3 1/2-year period, beginning when she was 14, was sentenced Friday to four years and four months in state prison.
Josh Thomas Churchill, who was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life, pleaded guilty last month to 10 charges, including committing a lewd act on a child and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
Churchill, 32, apologized for what he called an "error in judgment," but Judge Polly Shamoon told the defendant that he abused a position of trust, knowing the victim was a troubled child.
"What you did was destroy a young life," the judge told the defendant. "She will never get her innocence back."
Churchill -- the owner and operator of United Studios Self Defense Karate Studio -- had sex with the girl at various locations, including a car, the karate studio and a cousin's home, said Deputy District Attorney Lisa Fox.
The prosecutor said Churchill had unprotected sex with the victim even though he knew he had a venereal disease and got the girl pregnant at 16. Churchill told the victim not to tell anyone what happened and that he would leave his wife when the teen turned 18, according to the prosecutor.
The victim took a job working for Churchill but quit when he cut her pay, Fox said.
In May, Churchill got into a physical altercation with the victim's father over a cellphone that contained graphic text messages, according to the prosecutor.
"This man is a predator," the victim's aunt told the judge. "He chose to do the things he did to her."
She said her niece's father put his daughter in karate because she had been attacked when she was younger.
The victim, who is now 18, told the judge that she was afraid of Churchill and that he had threatened her.
"This man put me through unspeakable things," she said. "He'd yell at me. I was afraid of him; he threatened me."
Defense attorney Kerry Armstrong unsuccessfully argued that Churchill -- who had no prior record -- should be placed on probation and given a year in jail. The judge also rejected Armstrong's alternative requests for a 90-day prison psychological study or a two-year prison term.
The defendant -- who is a third-degree black belt in karate -- was originally charged with 52 counts. He was arrested in June.
Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. City News Service contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Print this article Back to Top
(link not active, page not found on original server: archive of article shown here below)
Poway karate instructor Josh Churchill sentenced for sex with minor
Kelly Wheeler, City News Service , Steve Fiorina
8:30 AM, Oct 31, 2014
7:39 PM, Oct 31, 2014
KGTV
SAN DIEGO - A Poway karate instructor who had unlawful sex with a girl over a 3 1/2-year period, beginning when she was 14, was sentenced Friday to four years and four months in state prison.
Josh Thomas Churchill, who was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life, pleaded guilty last month to 10 charges, including committing a lewd act on a child and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
Churchill, 32, apologized for what he called an "error in judgment," but Judge Polly Shamoon told the defendant that he abused a position of trust, knowing the victim was a troubled child.
"What you did was destroy a young life," the judge told the defendant. "She will never get her innocence back."
Churchill -- the owner and operator of United Studios Self Defense Karate Studio -- had sex with the girl at various locations, including a car, the karate studio and a cousin's home, said Deputy District Attorney Lisa Fox.
The prosecutor said Churchill had unprotected sex with the victim even though he knew he had a venereal disease and got the girl pregnant at 16. Churchill told the victim not to tell anyone what happened and that he would leave his wife when the teen turned 18, according to the prosecutor.
The victim took a job working for Churchill but quit when he cut her pay, Fox said.
In May, Churchill got into a physical altercation with the victim's father over a cellphone that contained graphic text messages, according to the prosecutor.
"This man is a predator," the victim's aunt told the judge. "He chose to do the things he did to her."
She said her niece's father put his daughter in karate because she had been attacked when she was younger.
The victim, who is now 18, told the judge that she was afraid of Churchill and that he had threatened her.
"This man put me through unspeakable things," she said. "He'd yell at me. I was afraid of him; he threatened me."
Defense attorney Kerry Armstrong unsuccessfully argued that Churchill -- who had no prior record -- should be placed on probation and given a year in jail. The judge also rejected Armstrong's alternative requests for a 90-day prison psychological study or a two-year prison term.
The defendant -- who is a third-degree black belt in karate -- was originally charged with 52 counts. He was arrested in June.
Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. City News Service contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Print this article Back to Top
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Poway-Karate-Instructor-Arrested-for-Sex-with-Minor-262422501.html
Poway Karate Instructor Arrested for Sex with Minor
Held on more than 500 counts, the suspect is in jail on a $25 million bond
By Andie Adams
| Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 | Updated 8:10 AM PDT
NBC 7's Steven Luke talks with parents and neighbors about Josh Churchill, a man facing hundreds of charges related to sex with a minor.
Photos and Videos
Karate Classes Canceled Amid Accusations
Karate Classes
Canceled Amid Accusations
More Photos and Videos
A Poway karate instructor has been arrested for 500 criminal counts of child molestation, including allegedly having sex with a female minor, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department announced Monday.
Last Thursday, sheriff's deputies were seen crashing through the front glass door of United Studios Self Defense Karate Studio at 13331 Poway Road -- the same day the studio's operator and lead instructor Josh Thomas Churchill, 31, was taken into custody.
Investigators say over more than three years, Churchill committed illegal acts against a minor at the studio and other locations.
Churchill was arrested Thursday near his San Diego home after an investigation revealed he had unlawful sex with a girl, sheriff's officials say, and he remains in jail on a $25 million bond.
He is accused of 200 counts of lewd acts with a victim 14 or 15 years old, 200 counts of oral copulation with a victim under 16 years old, 99 counts of lewd acts with a child by force and one count of sodomy with a victim under 16 years old.
Churchill's arraignment is scheduled for June 10.
According to his Facebook page "Sensei-Josh Churchill," Churchill was previously an instructor at Z-Ultimate Self Defense Studios in Poway, but his last post on April 2 said he was no longer working there.
"I'm sure there'll be a lot of lies and negative things spread, but if you really want to know, call me," the post read.
Tom Francis, an attorney for Z-Ultimate Self Defense Studios, said the Poway branch closed down when Churchill left to open his own studio in April.
"We're shocked about this as well," said Francis on behalf of his client.
NBC 7 also found a recent civil court complaint filed on June 2 by Churchill. In the court papers, he asked for a protective order against an ex-employee of Z-Ultimate and her father, alleging that the they attacked him in May after she was fired.
The ex-employee responded with a restraining order application of her own. Both sides were scheduled to hash out the case in court on June 17.
Classes at the United Studios Self Defense Karate Studio were canceled Monday as word spread about Churchill's arrest.
Michelle, a mother of one of Churchill's students, said she is in disbelief after hearing the accusations against her daughter's instructor.
"It's shock. It's scary. It's a parent's worst nightmare. You hope it never, ever happens to your child," Michelle said.
Churchill has declined interview requests from NBC 7.
Cell phone footage of deputies beating down the door at Poway's United Studios of Self Defense surfaced Monday.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the sheriff's child abuse unit at 858-565-5200.
Check back for details on this developing story.
Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Poway-Karate-Instructor-Arrested-for-Sex-with-Minor-262422501.html#ixzz34Feq77XA
Follow us: @nbcsandiego on Twitter | NBCSanDiego on Facebook
Poway Karate Instructor Arrested for Sex with Minor
Held on more than 500 counts, the suspect is in jail on a $25 million bond
By Andie Adams
| Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 | Updated 8:10 AM PDT
NBC 7's Steven Luke talks with parents and neighbors about Josh Churchill, a man facing hundreds of charges related to sex with a minor.
Photos and Videos
Karate Classes Canceled Amid Accusations
Karate Classes
Canceled Amid Accusations
More Photos and Videos
A Poway karate instructor has been arrested for 500 criminal counts of child molestation, including allegedly having sex with a female minor, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department announced Monday.
Last Thursday, sheriff's deputies were seen crashing through the front glass door of United Studios Self Defense Karate Studio at 13331 Poway Road -- the same day the studio's operator and lead instructor Josh Thomas Churchill, 31, was taken into custody.
Investigators say over more than three years, Churchill committed illegal acts against a minor at the studio and other locations.
Churchill was arrested Thursday near his San Diego home after an investigation revealed he had unlawful sex with a girl, sheriff's officials say, and he remains in jail on a $25 million bond.
He is accused of 200 counts of lewd acts with a victim 14 or 15 years old, 200 counts of oral copulation with a victim under 16 years old, 99 counts of lewd acts with a child by force and one count of sodomy with a victim under 16 years old.
Churchill's arraignment is scheduled for June 10.
According to his Facebook page "Sensei-Josh Churchill," Churchill was previously an instructor at Z-Ultimate Self Defense Studios in Poway, but his last post on April 2 said he was no longer working there.
"I'm sure there'll be a lot of lies and negative things spread, but if you really want to know, call me," the post read.
Tom Francis, an attorney for Z-Ultimate Self Defense Studios, said the Poway branch closed down when Churchill left to open his own studio in April.
"We're shocked about this as well," said Francis on behalf of his client.
NBC 7 also found a recent civil court complaint filed on June 2 by Churchill. In the court papers, he asked for a protective order against an ex-employee of Z-Ultimate and her father, alleging that the they attacked him in May after she was fired.
The ex-employee responded with a restraining order application of her own. Both sides were scheduled to hash out the case in court on June 17.
Classes at the United Studios Self Defense Karate Studio were canceled Monday as word spread about Churchill's arrest.
Michelle, a mother of one of Churchill's students, said she is in disbelief after hearing the accusations against her daughter's instructor.
"It's shock. It's scary. It's a parent's worst nightmare. You hope it never, ever happens to your child," Michelle said.
Churchill has declined interview requests from NBC 7.
Cell phone footage of deputies beating down the door at Poway's United Studios of Self Defense surfaced Monday.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the sheriff's child abuse unit at 858-565-5200.
Check back for details on this developing story.
Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Poway-Karate-Instructor-Arrested-for-Sex-with-Minor-262422501.html#ixzz34Feq77XA
Follow us: @nbcsandiego on Twitter | NBCSanDiego on Facebook