Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody commented on the recent findings of a Florida grand jury and criticized Biden for allegedly encouraging dangerous migration of children. In a disturbing case, a 32-year-old taekwondo instructor from Colorado was sentenced to 50 years in prison for secretly filming children in changing rooms and amassing a large collection of explicit photographs and videos. Erik Chen pleaded guilty to three felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child and was sentenced by District Judge Patricia Herron on September 15. Han Won Lee, who operated martial arts centers in the area for nearly three decades, expressed shock and devastation upon learning about his employee’s heinous actions. Lee claimed that he had no knowledge of Chen’s activities and described the discovery as completely devastating. He expressed his intention to protect his students and condemned Chen’s actions as despicable. However, it is worth noting that Lee’s background check failed to reveal any red flags about Chen. The incident came to light when a father reported that his two daughters had caught Chen recording them while they were naked in a changing room. Although an incident report was filed, there was initially insufficient evidence to arrest Chen. However, the investigation was reopened when a therapist reported that one of her young clients had disclosed being recorded by Chen in a restroom at the recreation center in 2020. Police discovered that Chen would often leave his backpack, containing a recording cellphone, in changing rooms and bathrooms at the summer camps he ran for Han Lee’s Taekwondo Center. During the investigation, authorities seized computers, DVDs, and CDs from Chen’s home, which contained explicit images of children between the ages of 8 and 12. The arrest affidavit stated that there were around 200,000 images and over 1,000 videos showing child sexual abuse material, with the majority featuring young females. Additionally, several videos captured Chen setting up the recording device in local bathrooms and locker rooms. Han Lee promptly terminated Chen’s employment as soon as he learned about the recordings. He expressed his remorse for the situation and his hope that such an incident would never occur again. Chen’s former workplace in Aurora is now permanently closed, although group lessons are still being conducted at other locations. The Castle Rock Police Department launched an investigation into Chen in June 2021, leading to the discovery of the illicit images in his home in August of the same year. Chen will be registered as a sex offender for life upon his release from prison. Attorney General Moody commended the victims for their bravery in speaking up and potentially preventing further harm. She emphasized the importance of their actions in keeping other children safe.
