By Bill Parry
ELMHURST — An Elmhurst Tae Kwon Do instructor has been charged with sexually abusing four of his young female students at various times over the last 19 months, according to the Queens district attorney.
Lorenzo Ramos, 26, formerly employed by the United Tae Kwon Do martial arts studio in Corona, was arraigned earlier this month on criminal charges stemming from alleged incidents involving one of the girls, was arraigned last Friday on a long list of charges before Queens Criminal Court Judge Elisa Koenderman on a criminal complaint involving the other three girls.
The victims include two 12-year-old girls and two 14-year-old girls, DA Richard Brown said.
“These are serious allegations,” he said.“As a martial arts instructor the defendant was supposed to train his students to protect themselves from unwanted advances. Instead he is accused of taking advantage of his teaching position to touch his students in inappropriate ways.”
While working at United Tae Kwon Do, located at 97-12 Roosevelt Ave., Ramos is alleged to have hugged them, grabbed their breasts and squeezed their buttocks, according to the charges.
Brown said the victims informed the owner of the studio after talking among themselves. If convicted, Ramos faces up to seven years in prison.
“Anyone who believes that they may have been a victim of abuse of this nature is asked to contact the NYPD’s Queens Special Victims Squad at (718) 520-9277,” Brown said.
