Court documents: Hyde Park martial arts instructor accused of molesting children between 8 and 13 years old

A temporary extreme risk order filed by state police in Dutchess County Court accuses 28-year-old Tyler Leclerc of sexually abusing multiple children between the ages of 8 and 13 in at least one incident on or around March 1, 2022.

Blaise Gomez

Feb 13, 2025, 5:22 PM

Updated 5 days ago

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News 12 has learned new details in the case against a Hyde Park martial arts instructor who was arrested earlier this month and accused of sexually abusing children.
A temporary extreme risk order filed by state police in Dutchess County Court accuses 28-year-old Tyler Leclerc of sexually abusing multiple children between the ages of 8 and 13 in at least one incident on or around March 1, 2022.
“Each victim provided information pertaining to a course of sexual conduct against them involving the respondent,” according to the court document. The emergency order alleges that following Leclerc’s arrest, “the respondent made numerous admissions confirming said conduct to include oral sex, forcible touching and dissemination of pornographic images to a minor. Respondent made admissions to having each victim perform numerous sex acts on him.”
Leclerc is an instructor at his father’s popular karate studio, Leclerc’s Martial Arts, which has six locations in Ulster and Dutchess counties. He is charged with criminal sex act involving a victim under the age of 17 and two counts of child endangerment.
State police previously said their investigation revealed Leclerc sexually abused "multiple children over the course of several years."
Leclerc was required under the temporary emergency order to surrender a pistol that he's believed to have in his home. The order cited a likelihood to “engage in conduct resulting in serious harm to self or others." It also prohibits him from purchasing or obtaining firearms.
The case has prompted former Dutchess County Legislator Benjamin Geller to call on Gov. Kathy Hochul to close a supposed loophole in state education law when it comes to sex offenders and youth-oriented businesses, after the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office said Leclerc’s father, Robert Leclerc, pleaded guilty to rape in the late 1990’s.
“The current law fails to adequately protect our children from potential predators in educational settings. I strongly urge you to take immediate action to amend NYSEL5001 to explicitly prohibit individuals with prior sexual offense convictions from owning, operating or working in any capacity at schools or facilities primarily serving minors,” Geller wrote in a letter to the governor.
Tyler Leclerc is being held in Dutchess County Jail on $200,000 cash bail. News 12’s repeated calls to Leclerc’s Martial Arts Studio for comment have not been returned.