Karate instructor in court on sex aasault charge (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Karate instructor in court on sex aasault charge

2:12pm Friday 4th May 2007 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

A karate instructor has appeared before a judge at Swindon Crown Court charged with sexually assaulting a child.

Andrew Crawford is said to have twice indecently assaulted the 15-year-old girl and also engaged in sexual activity in her presence.

The 36-year-old spoke only to identify himself and to confirm to the judge that he understood his bail conditions during the three-minute hearing.

Bespectacled Crawford was dressed in a dark suit, light blue shirt and green patterned tie for the court appearance.

He is accused of sexual touching and engaging in sexual activity in the girl's presence between September 1 and October 31 last year in Birmingham.

Crawford, of Rowton Heath Way, Freshbrook, also faces an allegation of sexual touching against the same girl in Swindon on Friday, October 13 last year.

No charges were formally put to him during the hearing and he did not enter any pleas.

The case was adjourned to Friday, June 29 when Crawford is expected to enter pleas to the charges.

He was released on bail on condition he does not have any contact with the girl who is the alleged victim.

Crawford, a fourth dan in Tae Kwon-Do, kick boxing and Chung Kwon Do, ran the Tae-beck martial arts club at Freshbrook Community Centre before starting a franchise of the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts School on the same site.

He also hired out the hall at Malmesbury Primary School for an open day to help teach youngsters how to fend off bullies.

In May 1999 Crawford, then a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon-Do and hapkido, came fifth at the European Martial Arts Open. Before that he came second in the English Open.

He took up martial arts at the age of five after being bullied at school for being dyslexic and has also worked as a doorman at Kaos nightclub.