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Man Running Dojo Out of House Charged With Sex Crimes

Posted at 2:26 PM, Oct 31, 2013
and last updated 2013-10-31 14:52:31-04

BX7IHKzCcAAl4MaKALAMAZOO, Mich. — A 61-year-old Kalamazoo karate instructor was charged Thursday with sex crimes involving three of his teenage students.

Robert Keith, a registered sex offender, was arrested Wednesday at his home in the 500 block of Nazareth, where police say he was also operating the martial arts dojo.

According to a press release, the alleged incidents happened during martial arts training.  There are currently three victims, ages 15, 16 and 17, but police say there may be others.

Keith was charged in 8th District Court with one count of second-degree and two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, which carry a combined potential jail sentence of 19 years.

Police say they had been investigating him since July.  He has three prior sex crime convictions in Florida from April 1997, all involving minors.