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04-25-2003, 01:16 PM
Karate teacher accused of molesting girls
By Derek Simmonsen staff writer
April 20, 2003
LAKEWOOD PARK -- The head of a local karate school for children was arrested Friday after sheriff's investigators accused him of molesting two female students.
Steven Michael Zerbe, 26, of 965 35th Ave. in Vero Beach, was accused of inappropriately touching a 6-year-old girl and an 11-year-old girl who were students in his karate class during several incidents that began last year, according to a Sheriff's Office report. He is being held on a $1.015 million bond at the St. Lucie County Jail, according to jail officials.
Zerbe is reportedly the owner and an instructor at Budan Kai Karate, at the intersection of Indrio Road and Emerson Avenue. An unidentified woman who answered the phone at Zerbe's home Saturday evening declined to comment. The investigation began after the grandmother of the 6-year-old accompanied her to karate class on Thursday. She told deputies that at one point she could not find her grandchild, and went looking for her in the area where the children change clothes for class. The grandmother reportedly found the child with her pants and underwear pulled down and saw Zerbe standing nearby her. When she asked the child what she was doing, the child said "Master Steve" told her to pull her pants down, the report states. Zerbe was shocked to see her, the grandmother told investigators.
The girl later told investigators that Zerbe touched her in her genital area, the report states. In an interview with detectives Jeff Buchanan and Neil Spector, Zerbe denied touching the girl. The detectives reportedly offered to let him take a computer voice-stress test. Zerbe initially agreed to the test, but became defensive after Spector left the room to talk with Zerbe's mother, who had accompanied him to the Sheriff's Office, the report states. Zerbe reportedly became defensive in front of his mother and said to Spector, "I am going to call [the girl] and her mother and take care of this."
Spector told him that if he contacted either one he would be arrested. Zerbe then charged Spector, backing him out of the office and into the main lobby of the Sheriff's Office, the report states. Buchanan drew his gun and told Zerbe to back away from Spector or he would be shot, the report states. Zerbe initially backed away, the report indicates, but then approached Buchanan. Zerbe's mother jumped up and stopped him from coming at Buchanan, the report states. Deputies were called for back up and Buchanan told Zerbe he was under arrest. While Buchanan was putting handcuffs on him, Zerbe reportedly tried to hit the detective and struggled with the deputies.
Zerbe was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation, in addition to felony counts of threatening a public servant, assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence, the report states. A couple who heard about the arrest contacted the Sheriff's Office late Friday and said their 11-year-old daughter had a similar encounter with Zerbe. The girl told detectives that in October 2002, Zerbe made her go to the bathroom with the 6-year-old girl and that he also made her pull down her pants. Zerbe then touched her genital area, the report states. More encounters allegedly took place in the following months. The final encounter with Zerbe took place in February 2003, when Zerbe reportedly forced the 11-year-old to urinate in front of him, but did not touch her genitals, the report states.
"This statement is consistent to an ongoing method Zerbe utilizes to victimize these children," Spector wrote in a second arrest affidavit. Zerbe was charged with a second count of lewd and lascivious molestation at the jail Friday night, the report states. Spector wrote in his report that the investigation could potentially lead to other victims and the Sheriff's Office will continue to investigate.
http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/trib_local_news/article/0,1651,TCP_1107_1902427,00.html
By Derek Simmonsen staff writer
April 20, 2003
LAKEWOOD PARK -- The head of a local karate school for children was arrested Friday after sheriff's investigators accused him of molesting two female students.
Steven Michael Zerbe, 26, of 965 35th Ave. in Vero Beach, was accused of inappropriately touching a 6-year-old girl and an 11-year-old girl who were students in his karate class during several incidents that began last year, according to a Sheriff's Office report. He is being held on a $1.015 million bond at the St. Lucie County Jail, according to jail officials.
Zerbe is reportedly the owner and an instructor at Budan Kai Karate, at the intersection of Indrio Road and Emerson Avenue. An unidentified woman who answered the phone at Zerbe's home Saturday evening declined to comment. The investigation began after the grandmother of the 6-year-old accompanied her to karate class on Thursday. She told deputies that at one point she could not find her grandchild, and went looking for her in the area where the children change clothes for class. The grandmother reportedly found the child with her pants and underwear pulled down and saw Zerbe standing nearby her. When she asked the child what she was doing, the child said "Master Steve" told her to pull her pants down, the report states. Zerbe was shocked to see her, the grandmother told investigators.
The girl later told investigators that Zerbe touched her in her genital area, the report states. In an interview with detectives Jeff Buchanan and Neil Spector, Zerbe denied touching the girl. The detectives reportedly offered to let him take a computer voice-stress test. Zerbe initially agreed to the test, but became defensive after Spector left the room to talk with Zerbe's mother, who had accompanied him to the Sheriff's Office, the report states. Zerbe reportedly became defensive in front of his mother and said to Spector, "I am going to call [the girl] and her mother and take care of this."
Spector told him that if he contacted either one he would be arrested. Zerbe then charged Spector, backing him out of the office and into the main lobby of the Sheriff's Office, the report states. Buchanan drew his gun and told Zerbe to back away from Spector or he would be shot, the report states. Zerbe initially backed away, the report indicates, but then approached Buchanan. Zerbe's mother jumped up and stopped him from coming at Buchanan, the report states. Deputies were called for back up and Buchanan told Zerbe he was under arrest. While Buchanan was putting handcuffs on him, Zerbe reportedly tried to hit the detective and struggled with the deputies.
Zerbe was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation, in addition to felony counts of threatening a public servant, assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence, the report states. A couple who heard about the arrest contacted the Sheriff's Office late Friday and said their 11-year-old daughter had a similar encounter with Zerbe. The girl told detectives that in October 2002, Zerbe made her go to the bathroom with the 6-year-old girl and that he also made her pull down her pants. Zerbe then touched her genital area, the report states. More encounters allegedly took place in the following months. The final encounter with Zerbe took place in February 2003, when Zerbe reportedly forced the 11-year-old to urinate in front of him, but did not touch her genitals, the report states.
"This statement is consistent to an ongoing method Zerbe utilizes to victimize these children," Spector wrote in a second arrest affidavit. Zerbe was charged with a second count of lewd and lascivious molestation at the jail Friday night, the report states. Spector wrote in his report that the investigation could potentially lead to other victims and the Sheriff's Office will continue to investigate.
http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/trib_local_news/article/0,1651,TCP_1107_1902427,00.html