IL- Child sex case filed against karate studio
Child sex case filed against karate studio
Instructor & supervisor there face recent allegations
Charges include making child porn & molesting boys
Teacher is in custody after being arrested & charged
SNAP: “Others with knowledge & suspicions must speak up”
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, child sex abuse victims and their supporters will:
--announce the filing of a new civil child sex abuse lawsuit against a karate studio and one former and one current employees there, and
--beg anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes there to call police.
WHEN
Wednesday, July 31, at 1:15 p.m.
WHERE
Outside 3 Tigers Martial Arts Studio, 2630 Mascoutah Ave. (corner of Green Mt. Road) in Belleville IL
WHO
Two-four members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, including a man who is the organization’s long time director
WHY
The parents of a seven year old boy are suing a karate instructor, his supervisor and a martial arts studio for alleged child sex crimes that reportedly occurred for nine months (May 2012 - February 2013) at Three Tigers Martial Arts Studio in Belleville IL.
Christopher M. Horton (age 20) of Highland, Illinois, faces multiple federal and state criminal charges including sexual exploitation of a child, predatory criminal sexual assault, and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. (Case number 13-CV-30042-DRH in US District Court, Southern District of Illinois). He was arrested in February 2013, was indicted in March 2013, and is in federal custody awaiting trial (being held without bond on the federal charges and on a $5 million bond for the state charges).
If convicted, Horton could face up to 30 years in prison for each count and a fine up to $250,000.
His supervisor, Kevin Gaugler (who also lives in Illinois and still works at Three Tigers), faces no criminal charges but is a defendant in the civil suit because he managed the studio during the abuse.
After an unnamed person saw images of Horton’s sex crimes with boys on Horton’s cell phone, Horton was questioned and arrested. He confessed to abusing kids.
The suit says that the boy will “suffer further anxiety wondering. . .for the rest of his life. . if any of the images of his exploitation were posted on the internet.”
The suit also says that Horton was “in a position of trust, confidence, respect, and authority over minors,” “befriended (the boy),” “gained the trust and confidence” of his parents, and spent “substantial periods of time” with the child. According to the suit, Horton “performed sex acts on (the boy) and forced him to perform sex acts on him” at the studio.
SNAP is urging anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes at the studio to contact law enforcement. Specifically, the group is begging parents whose children spent any time at the studio – or at other Three Tigers’ locations - to ask their youngsters if they were touched or hurt. (There is one in Swansea at 216 Frank Scott Parkway, 618 530 5942). The studios are part of a national chain.
The specific counts in the civil suit include battery, negligent failure to supervise, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The alleged victim is represented by St. Louis attorneys are Ken Chackes (314 369 3902, [email protected]) and Nicole Gorovsky (314 872 8420, [email protected]). The federal prosecutor is Steven Wigginton (618-628-3700, 618-439-3808, 618-482-9361). SNAP does not know who the defense attorneys are (in either case).
The civil suit seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial in St. Clair County Circuit Court.
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2013/03/06/new-sex-charges-against-belleville-martial-arts-instructor/
http://fox2now.com/2013/02/16/martial-arts-instructor-charged-with-sexual-assualt-of-a-minor/
CONTACT
David Clohessy (314 566 9790, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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