Former Martial Arts Instructor Pleads Guilty To Sex Abuse Charges: DA

DUTCHESS COUNTY, NY — A former martial arts instructor accused of sexually abusing children has pleaded guilty in Dutchess County Court.

Tyler LeClerc, of Hyde Park, pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal sexual act, one count of first-degree attempted sexual abuse, and two counts of forcible touching, according to the Dutchess County District Attorney’s office.

Judge Jessica Segal scheduled sentencing for Sept. 3.

Under the terms of a plea bargain agreement, LeClerc is expected to be sentenced to between 10 and 12 years in prison.

District Attorney Anthony Parisi said the plea agreement was reached following the unanimous request of the victims’ parents.

They “wished to spare their children the emotional trauma of testifying in a public trial,” Parisi said.

Complainants included youths who were students at LeClerc’s Martial Arts school, according to Parisi.

The conduct happened in LaGrange and Pleasant Valley between 2023 and 2025, according to the district attorney’s office.

In pleading guilty, LeClerc admitted to engaging in oral sexual conduct with a person under age 17, prosecutors said. He also admitted to attempting to subject an individual under age 13 to sexual contact. Finally, he admitted to forcibly touching the “sexual or intimate parts of two different people for the purpose of his own sexual gratification,” according to the district attorney’s office.

Read more:
Ex-Martial Arts Instructor Faces Additional Abuse Counts: DA
28-Year-Old Dutchess Man Charged With Sexually Abusing Children: NYSP