A Waterloo taekwondo instructor who was found guilty of sexually assaulting a former student, who was a minor at the time, has been allowed to keep teaching at his family-run business, according to a ruling by a Kitchener judge.
Gregory Bauer entered a guilty plea for the historical sexual assault last month.
He received a sentence of two years minus one day on July 21 from Justice Ashley Warne in Kitchener after being convicted on two counts of sexual assault.
Bauer was not found guilty on one count of assault or three counts of sexual exploitation that he faced originally in 2023.
Vilkhov Law Professional Corp. represented Bauer during the trial and informed that he will continue to teach taekwondo at Five Rings Taekwondo in Waterloo while fully complying with the conditions set by the court.
“I know that club members will still be his clients and that he’s had an unblemished record for over 40 years now. So he’s going to keep doing what he’s done all those years,” defense attorney Igor Vilkhov stated.
One condition set by the court allows Bauer to work in positions involving trust and authority over individuals under age 18 as long as he is accompanied by his son, Ryan Bauer, or another adult aware of his conviction and its terms.
He’s permitted to serve his sentence in the community provided he follows all conditions, which include home confinement for the first 243 days and adhering to a curfew.
The conditions also let him continue working during this period of house arrest.
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Permanently Banned by Taekwondo Canada
After his conviction, Taekwondo Canada notified via email that they are taking measures to permanently suspend Bauer’s membership. This means he cannot run a club under Taekwondo Ontario or Taekwondo Canada or coach at any national or provincial events. “Legally, there’s nothing we can do to stop him from running a club after the fact. We hope parents looking for taekwondo clubs for their kids will research those officially recognized by Taekwondo Ontario and Taekwondo Canada,” said Dave Harris, executive director of Taekwondo Canada, in an email to . Bauer was initially suspended by Taekwondo Canada on December 17, 2023, after being arrested by the Waterloo Regional Police Service and charged with assault, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation involving a minor female on December 14, 2023. Bauer is listed on the sex offender registry for twenty years; he can’t own any weapons for ten years and must pay a $200 victim surcharge. After two years under house confinement, he’ll face an additional three years of probation.‘I was young and desperately need guidance’
Bauer’s victim shared a statement with . Due to a court-ordered publication ban, we cannot identify her. “I was young and desperately need guidance, a mentor and a leader. I will never understand why your own needs blinded you to how wrong your actions were,” read part of her statement addressed to Bauer. “This has profoundly damaged my mental, emotional and physical health, as well as my self-esteem and my relationships.” has reached out to Bauer and Five Rings Taekwondo for comment.Source link
