Karate instructor accused of molestation has prior sex conviction

A Modesto karate instructor who was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of child molestation is a registered sex offender stemming from a conviction about 25 years ago, police reported.

Carlos Silva Loya does not show up on the Megan’s Law search, however, because his conviction was for a lesser offense, sexual battery, said Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Heather Graves. Investigators do not know whether the crime – which occurred outside Stanislaus County – involved a minor.

“We don’t have any case details; just an approximate time frame and what the conviction was,” Graves said.

Information on what restrictions Loya’s sex-offender status might put on working with children was not available Thursday afternoon.

Police say Loya sexually abused a 14-year-old boy in Loya’s home for almost a year. Detectives with the department’s Special Victims Unit launched an investigation last week after receiving information that Loya, 50, had molested the former karate student nearly three years ago, police said.

“It’s pretty typical not to come forward until later, Special Victims detectives said,” Graves said, “When you’re a victim of this nature, they tend to wait. Who knows what reason? It could be embarrassment; it could be all sorts of things.”

The boy frequented his instructor’s southwest Modesto home, where the sexual abuse is believed to have taken place, police said. At the time of the claimed molestation, Loya had about 100 students, detectives estimated.

“There’s potential, obviously, for more victims,” Graves said, adding that detectives urge any others to come forward.

Loya was booked into the Stanislaus County jail on Wednesday morning. He faces charges of continuous sexual abuse of a minor, sodomy, child molestation and oral copulation, and remained in custody Thursday afternoon with bail set at $250,000.

According to his blogspot page, Loya is a fifth-degree black belt and owner and master instructor of Kempo Karate School on Winmoore Way off Crows Landing Road. The business was closed Thursday, with signs on the door that read, “Family emergency, no karate until further notice” and “Thank you for understanding – CKS School.”

The property owner and neighboring businesses had little to say about Loya. They said he had a thriving business with many students. One estimated Loya had been there at least six years.

A 2009 blogspot post showed photos from the grand opening of Loya’s studio “after years of teaching classes out of his garage.”

At his home Thursday morning, a juvenile daughter answered the door and said of the accusation, “It’s not true. That’s all I’m saying.”

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Detective Sean Dodge at 209-342-9123 or Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and are eligible for a cash reward. Tipsters may also text information to Crime Stoppers at 274637; type “TIP704” along with the message.

This story was originally published August 18, 2016 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Karate instructor accused of molestation has prior sex conviction."