Ex-Passaic Co. Karate Teacher Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting Girl

A Passaic County man faces up to 40 years in prison after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl who was a student at a karate school he worked at.

Luke V. Bakula, 31, of Haskell was found guilty of two counts each of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes announced Tuesday.

A Passaic County jury convicted Bakula March 19. Prosecutors argued during the trial that Bakula sexually assaulted the girl while a student assistant instructor at Porta's Karate Dojo Academy. The assaults occurred at the dojo and at her Bloomingdale home between November 21, 2005 and July 2006, Valdes said.

Bakula stopped being an instructor at the dojo in 2015 based on the sexual assault allegations.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 7. Bakula faces a maximum of sentence of 40 years in New Jersey State Prison. He must serve 85 percent of the sentence before being eligible for parole.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com