Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office

25 Kirkpatrick Street, 3^rd Floor, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901 (732) 745-3300

*News Release* Date: September 2, 2011

Karate school instructor admits sexual assaults

Middlesex County First Assistant Prosecutor Julia L. McClure announced today that a karate school teacher has pleaded guilty to charges of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, and, in a separate incident, improperly touching another 16-year-old girl.

Joel A. Levy (DOB 8/22/67) of North Third Avenue, Highland Park, admitted to one count of sexual assault and one count of criminal sexual contact. Levy knew the teenagers before the assaults occurred.

Levy, owner of The Family Martial Arts Academy, North Third Avenue, Highland Park, said he improperly touched one of the teenagers in Highland Park on March 7, 2011, and sexually assaulted the other girl while he had a supervisory role over her between November 2009 and January 2010.

Levy pleaded guilty at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick on September 1, 2011, after waiving his right to have the case presented to a grand jury in Middlesex County.

Superior Court Judge Diane Pincus scheduled sentencing for December 16, 2011.

Under the terms of the agreement reached between Middlesex County Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Christie L. Bevacqua, and Levy’s attorney, Jack Arseneault, Levy will be sentenced to a three-year prison term for both offenses. In addition, he will be required to register with police as a Megan’s Law sex offender and will be placed on parole supervision for life.

Levy was charged following an investigation by Investigator Daniel Ruschak and Investigator Lisa Collins, both of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, and Detective Nicole Young of the Highland Park Police Department.

In addition to working at his karate school, Levy had been employed at New Brunswick High School as a teacher overseeing students serving in-school suspensions. He had worked for the school district since November 2010.