ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — A taekwondo instructor in Anne Arundel County has been charged with sexually abusing a teenager, police said Wednesday morning.
Police said 42-year-old Steve Choi sexually abused a teenage client several times over several years.
Choi, from West Friendship, is an instructor at Lion Choi's Taekwondo studio on Annapolis Road in Hanover. He allegedly abused a victim from age 14 to age 17. The victim was 17 when the report was filed, and was interviewed in September 2021.
Choi has been charged with multiple crimes associated with sexually abusing a minor, and was taken into custody on Aug. 16.
“She complained of sexual abuse over a period of the time when she was 14 or 15 years old,” said Marc Limansky, a spokesperson for Anne Arundel County Police.
Court documents outline multiple sexual encounters Choi and the victim as "classic grooming behaviors."
According to charging documents, Choi started calling and texting the victim, including late at night, and told her to delete messages after they were sent. He asked for nude photos and videos and instructed her how to pose, according to documents. The victim described to officers the sexual acts between the two inside the taekwondo building, in the parking lot and in his vacant home.
According to documents, the victim told officers that Choi promised her a scholarship and told her that if she told anyone he would ruin her life. She also said she liked the attention and did not want to hurt Choi or his family and that she "felt disgusted because I feel as though I ruined a family," because she felt really guilty and felt that it was her responsibility to take accountability for hurting the family.
A person at Choi's studio told WMAR-2 News they just learned of the news.
Choi was trusted to teach children self defense and now he’s charged with sexually abusing one of them.
"I don’t think there are words to describe how worried I am," a parent said. "You always will worry, right?"
A parent of a child at the studios after school program told WMAR-2 News that she is are now bracing for what’s she’s sure will be a tough conversation.
"It's paramount," a parent said. "It’s everything, right? Like, we can never ignore when these things happen. We have to protect our children. It’s unfortunate that I have to have a conversation like this with him at 10 years old but you best believe I will be having the conversation."
Police are urging all parents to talk with their children attending Lion Choi’s martial arts about any potentially inappropriate behavior and to contact police to share their concerns.
"They’re going to see things on the news," a parent said. "They’re going to hear things from their classmates. This is not something that you want your child to learn about in any other way than directly from you."
Choi has posted a $50,000 bond and has been released from police custody.
Police are urging anyone with information about this incident or other incidents involving Steve Choi to contact 410-222-4733. One can also remain anonymous by calling the Anne Arundel County Tip Line at 410-222-4700 or Metro Crime Stoppers.
