3 More Victims Say Karate Instructor Sexually Abused Them

A karate instructor at the faces additional charges after three more victims came forward with allegations.

John R. Garcia, 47, of 2816 Poplar St., is charged today with two counts of lewd and lascivious sexual battery and three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, stemming from separate crimes that occurred during the 2005-2006 school year involving three girls who were 12 or 13 years old at the time, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

Garcia remains in the Sarasota County Jail without bond. The investigation continues.

, three victims reported their cases to the Sarasota Police Department , according to the probable cause affidavits.

The sheriff's office was handed the case and there, the victim told detectives that she was molested by Garcia when she was 12. The victim was a student in Garcia's karate class during the 2005-2006 school year, according to the report.

Garcia had locked the door to the dojo after the victim went into the room to retrieve a personal item, and which point Garcia had groped the victim, inappropriately touching her genitals then stopped when someone knocked on the door, the victim told detectives.

"The defendant removed his hands from underneath her pants and underwear and laughed saying, 'It's probably better we stopped anyways because you're getting me hard,'" the affidavit states.

The second victim was in the 7th or 8th grade and was either 12 or 13 during the time and was assaulted during the 2006 and 2007 school years, according to the report.

This victim was in the dojo and was laid on the ground by Garcia after locking the door where he proceeded to touch the victim's genitals with his fingers, according to the report, then the second time Garcia had sex with the student.

"The victim related that sometime during the course of these incidents, the defendant told her, "you really don't want to see me in orange" which the victim understood to mean being put in jail," according to the affidavit.

The third victim was 12 years old at the time, and she was unable to attend an eighth grade filed trip and was inside the dojo when Garcia approached her, then ran his hands up her leg to her underwear, according to the report. Garcia also placed the victim on her lap, facing away from her and told her, "God, the things I'd love to do to you," according to the affidavit.

This brings the total number of victims to four, accusing Garcia of sexual assault and other charges.

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call Criminal Investigations at 941-861-4900 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS (8477), or online atwww.sarasotacrimestoppers.com or via text message by texting TIP109 plus a message to CRIMES (274637).