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Press Release

Montgomery County Karate Teacher Sentenced to 6 ½ Years in Prison for Abusing Teenage Students

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Evan Burgess, 28, of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment followed by fifteen years of supervised release by the United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage.  The defendant will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of this conviction.

The defendant, a former karate instructor at Destolfo’s Premier Martial Arts in Conshohocken, previously pleaded guilty in June 2019 to two counts of traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with two minors, who were his teenage karate students at the time of the incidents.  These incidents occurred while the defendant and his victims were attending karate tournaments in August 2016 in National Harbor, Maryland and in September 2014 in East Elmhurst, New York.

“Burgess took advantage of his position of trust as an instructor of young men to abuse them – sometimes brazenly while other adults were in the room or nearby,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain.  “Child abuse and exploitation are heinous crimes which my Office takes very seriously.  Burgess will now pay for his crimes behind bars where he belongs.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and Whitpain Township Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Harrell.

Contact

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

JENNIFER CRANDALL
Media Contact
215-861-8300

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Updated October 29, 2019

Topic
Project Safe Childhood