Jurors have acquitted a Wright County martial arts instructor of molesting a 15-year-old girl when she was a pupil.
Jury acquits Wright County martial arts instructor of molesting 15-year-old girl who was a pupil
"For him to be careless and reckless with a student ... didn't fly with the jury," defense attorney Bruce Rivers said.
July 14, 2023 at 8:33PM
The jury deliberated for three hours Thursday before finding Patrick D. Hoth, 53, of Brooklyn Park, not guilty in Wright County District Court of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with allegations that he groped the girl at the World Taekwondo Academy in St. Michael, Minn., in November 2020.
County Attorney Brian Lutes said Friday that "the victim made a credible report of sexual abuse on which we pursued a criminal charge through a jury trial based upon the victim's testimony. While we hoped for a different result, we respect the jury process and the verdict of this particular jury."
Defense attorney Bruce Rivers said that the allegations "just didn't make sense from a mechanical standpoint. Just the things she said he did were kind of impossible."
Hoth's biography that had been on the academy's website said he had coached teams at state and national competitions and was an expert in areas of anti-bullying, school climate and workplace safety.
Rivers said that Hoth's accomplishments in the martial arts "require discipline and a level of commitment that is almost at the Olympic level. For him to be careless and reckless with a student like he was accused of just didn't fly with the jury."
Hoth is no longer a martial arts instructor and now works in sales, Rivers said.
Chris Lyden argued that he did not deserve to be censured for his response to the email. Ultimately, the resolution passed 3-1.
