Karate School Teacher Charged in Sexual Assault Against Teen Girls

The owner of a Highland Park karate school who was recently charged with sexual assault against a teenage girl was charged again yesterday with two more counts involving two other girls, both younger than the first.

Joel Levy of Highland Park surrendered to police Tuesday, after which he was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a minor, said Jim O'Neill of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office. The two teenagers Levy allegedly assaulted are both 15 years old. The girl who was the victim in the original assault charge is 16.

The charges were filed after an investigation by Prosecutor's Office Investigators Daniel Ruschak and Lisa Collins and Highland Park Police Det. Nicole Young. They discovered that Levy had allegedly assaulted the girls more than once and over a period of several months.

Levy, who owns the Family Martial Arts Academy, also served as a teacher overseeing in-school suspensions at New Brunswick High School since last year, O'Neill said. The man had apparently also been a teacher in other school districts, including Edison, Highland Park, Perth Amboy, Somerset, and Franklin Township.

Levy posted $125,000 bail and was released.

The previous offense for which Levy was charged involved criminal sexual contact that allegedly occurred on March 7 towards a 16-year-old girl. Levy was arrested for that offense three days later, when he was charged and posted $10,000 in bail and was released.

Anyone with information on these, or similar incidents, should call Investigator Ruschak of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-3600, or Detective Young of the Highland Park Police Dept. at 732-572-3800.