A Karate instructor convicted of oral copulation with a minor will spend the maximum amount of time in prison, a judge ruled Monday.
Juan Melesio Flores, 39, will spend three years in prison and no chance for probation for oral copulation with a minor. The popular former karate instructor will also have to be registered as a lifetime sex offender.
Flores was accused of molesting two young male students at Z-Ultimate Studio in Tierrasanta in 2013. A jury in November found he was guilty on one charge of oral copulation with a minor and deadlocked on the remaining 16 charges, and the judge declared a mistrial on those counts.
A group of parents in court for the sentencing were furious with the former Karate instructor and said he was a father figure that abused his role.
One victim's mother said her autistic son used to love karate and thought of Flores as a father figure, but since the incident has lost 20 pounds and refuses to do karate again.
A statement from a 16-year-old victim read in court asked the judge to make Flores register as a sex offender for life. The victim said he used to be on the honor role but is now flunking classes and is taking medication for anxiety, depression and sleep.
A mother whose son attended classes at Flores' studio said when the 7th grader started Karate, it helped build his self-esteem. In an email to NBC 7, the mother said she thought Flores was a good influence on her son who gave him good advice.
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She said she was shocked to hear of his arrest.
"After finding out more, I felt betrayed and angry but mostly so desperately sad for the boys that were victims of his web of deceit," her email said. "Thank god, he did not violate my son, but he stole from him what were wonderful memories of five years of his life in martial arts."
She told NBC 7 her son wanted to throw away his karate gi, the belts he had earned and everything else that reminded him of his sensei.
The son was furious that Flores was only charged on one count.
"Thank goodness the judge, commenting on his lack of remorse and lengthy grooming that took place with these boys, gave him the maximum sentence. I guess that's the only satisfaction we can get at this point," the email read.
Flores originally faced more than a dozen felony charges, including committing a lewd act on a minor and oral copulation. A jury was deadlocked on the other counts, so the prosecution announced Monday that those additional charges have been dropped.
Prosecutors said the abuse, which allegedly involved two teenage boys, took place between 2012 and Dec. 2013 at the studio, or dojo.
Flores said in court that he would massage students and some would massage his lower back, though he denied anything sexual ever happened.
