Croton Martial Arts Teacher Sex Abuse Trial Underway

Frank DeMaria's sex abuse trial has begun in White Plains. Prosecutors say charges stem from incidents involving four of DeMaria's martial arts students. The Ossining resident faces the following charges:

•    Three counts of second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, class “D” violent felonies,
•    Two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, class “D” violent felonies,
•    Four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, class “A” misdemeanors.

DeMaria is an internationally known martial arts instructor who owned a studio in Croton. Prosecutors say DeMaria abused young girls at the studio between November 2009 and January 2011. The victims claim that DeMaria told them to grab his penis and to squeeze and pull it repeatedly.

As the trial got underway yesterday, DeMaria's attorney said that there were more than half-a-dozen parents at the classes where the abuse supposedly occurred, according to lohud.com.

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THIS TRIAL? LET US KNOW BY CLICKING ON THE "COMMENT" BUTTON.