CORONA — A Tae Kwon Do instructor was arraigned last week for allegedly sexually abusing four female students — offering cash to one victim and telling her to stay quiet "because both of us will be killed," according to the DA.
Lorenzo Ramos, 26, of Elmhurst, worked at a branch of the United Tae Kwon Do at 97-12 Roosevelt Ave., according to the Queens District Attorney's office.
It's not clear how long he worked there, but it's alleged that he abused four girls between the ages of 12 and 14 between May 2015 and Feb. 25, 2016.
Ramos — who was first arraigned on abuse charges on March 2 stemming from allegations from one victim — was re-arraigned March 11 for allegations from three other victims, according to the DA.
He allegedly approached two 12-year-old girls and two 14-year-old girls separately and touched them inappropriately, including picking them up, grabbing their breasts and squeezing their butts, according to the DA.
He allegedly rubbed his penis against the vagina of a 12-year-old victim over her clothing and rubbed his hand up and down the side of a 14-year-old's body.
Ramos also offered or gave money to three victims and allegedly told one, "Don't say anything because both of us will be killed," according to the charges.
Three of the victims confided in each other and later told the center's owner, who fired Ramos, according to the DA. A victim then told her mother, who notified the NYPD.
Calls to the Tae Kwon Do center were not returned.
Ramos was charged with multiple counts of sex abuse, harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.
His lawyer, Edward Sapone, said the bail placed on his client — $31,000 — limited his ability to fight the case.
"While I appreciate that the arraignment judge did not adhere to the prosecution's request for $75,000 bail, and instead set a much lower bail, sadly any amount beyond a few thousand dollars is tantamount to remand given Mr. Ramos' financial situation," he told DNAinfo New York.
"All too often wealthy defendants — usually middle-aged Caucasian males — get to fight their cases from their lawyers' offices, while young minorities fight their cases from Rikers Island."
He said that the charges are "serious" but Ramos was not a flight risk.
Sapone would not comment directly about the charges.
Ramos faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
