Mitchell's Martial Arts Founder Sentenced for Child Abuse

[Bob]

Is anyone else shocked that Howard Mitchell, founder of Overlea's Mitchell's United Martial Arts, was sentenced to four years in jail for having sex with 15-year-old girls? My kids went to Mitchell's and had good experiences. It's hard to believe that guy could be such a creep--although apparently he is.

[Megan]

i do disagree with this nosence why should u call some one a crepp if u don't even know him. for all i know u cold be a creep ur self

[Dee]

ANY adult in a position of trust with the care of shildren entrusted to him/her, who violates that trust, could legitimately be called a creep!
Of course, this problem is SO widespread,,,,,,,,,, something like 1 in 4 kids I think, that it is no wonder that someone would not endorse the 'creep' adjective. Statistically a one in four victim rate means that lots of folks out there are creeps and one never knows when one will meet that creep!
Most of the 'creeps' are not some weirdo loner, but people you know. Fathers, friends of the family, uncles, grandfathers, school teachers, doctors, truck drivers, fishermen, etc. ALL can be the 'creeps'.
So, the question is, which is which? In what corner do YOU stand?

[Hurt N Upset]

Mr. Mitchell is a wonderful man. I've been raised around him and I love him dearly. Do you even know him to call him a creep?

[Bob]

Hurt N Upset wrote:

Mr. Mitchell is a wonderful man. I've been raised around him and I love him dearly. Do you even know him to call him a creep?

He agreed to a statement of facts in this case--essentially, he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a young girl. If that's not a definition of "creep," I don't know what is. The court record is clear that he repeatedly abused a girl for more than three years--and another girl was ready to press similar charges. Now, my kids had good experiences there and I didn't believe this could be true. But I checked out the court record for myself and was shocked. It's a tragedy for his family--but especially for the girls involved.

[Ricky]

I have been raised around Howard too. I am one of his original students. I know for a fact that Howard did these things. I've witnessed it happen. There are at least nine girls that I know personally that he has abused. Only two of them have come forward but there are many more. Almost every young girl that attended Howard's studio has been touched innapropriatly to say the least. Anyone who says that they know Howard knows me too. All you people that weren't there from the beginning and dont hang out with Howard outside of karate and have a personal relationship with him, you keep your mouth shut. I even know some of the adult women he has affairs with. Some of them even teach there. Like the fat, blonde that gives him head in the back then hold his children and hugs his wife in the same day. Howard is a disgusting pedophile. And if you were never good enough to fight against me and my crew you were just pathetic martial artist that he didn't think twice about. So don't claim to know him just because he was nice to you at the end of his eight year run and he seemed to joke a lot a act like he cared about your personally life and issues. when you werent looking he was telling me how sad you were. Howard likes little girls and maybe even men. He used to say to me "Ricky head is head. There is no difference between a girls mouth and a guys mouth."?????disgusting

[Bob]

That's sad to hear. I don't know if it's true or not, however. I have heard that Mitchell's is still open. I'm guessing Howard's family needs to keep it going to survive. I wish them the best of luck. Unfortunately, there's no way I can send my kids there. They'll hear about why Master Howard isn't there, and I don't want to have to explain to them why the man they trusted so much is in jail.

[Mary]

We are dealing with the exact same issues. We told out son that Mitchell's is closed; we don't wnat to tell him the truth because we think it would be devastating for a kid his age to learn that one of his role models is such a disgusting bastard. We're having a terrible time dealing with how our trust could be violated so badly-- how would our son manage? But now we're worried he'll do a web search looking for a site for Mitchells to find out why it's closed, and find this site! Now we have to decide-- do we tell him the truth now, or wait and see what happens. Creep? That bastard has not only changed the lives of the girls he's abused forever, but has potentially destroyed the ability of a lot of young kids to really trust an adult, ever. In the interest of keeping foul language off of this site, I won't use the words I've repeated to my husband over and over since we found out about the conviction; but you can bet he deserves every last one of them.

[one of the victims]

I was one of the girls that decided to tell on Howard. Not only has Howard damaged my life but his family is now attacking my family. The mitchell family are also my neighbor. My litte brother was riding his bike to his best friend's house who happens to live behind the Mitchells and Manita called the police saying that he was tresspassing. The police found my brother, who was now far away from their house and handcuffed him and brought him to Manita's house. Manita was laughing and taking pictures of him being put in the cop car. What kind of woman would be so angry that her perverted, pedophile, child molesting husband was arrested that she would attack a kid. Not to mention laugh and take pictures of him being arrested.

[anonymous]

My question for the poster named "Ricky" is if you knew for so many years all this was going on, why the f*** didn't you say anything the whole time? You are either an enabler, an accomplice or both you sick freak.

I guess maybe since you knew Howard so well, he probably raised you to abuse girls too.

[ricky]

anonymous wrote:

My question for the poster named "Ricky" is if you knew for so many years all this was going on, why the f*** didn't you say anything the whole time? You are either an enabler, an accomplice or both you sick freak.
I guess maybe since you knew Howard so well, he probably raised you to abuse girls too.

You new 2 u fat ulgy bitch

[anonymous]

ricky wrote:

<quoted text> You new 2 u fat ulgy bitch

WHAT did I know you idiot?

[George W Bush]

You should have reported the incident in the first year that you knew that it happened.

[Steve]

Looking at this thread from an objective point of view, I point out one thing. The poster named Ricky obviously lacks even a basic understanding of the English language and should be re-enrolled in the second grade before he is allowed to post on any website. Such a sorry excuse of a person, should not even be allowed to leave his room until he learns to converse like a semi-intelligent human being and not like some sort of simian-creature who spent too much time in the ghetto. Furthermore, the delusions of grandeur and nobility that this sorry person has belie his own complicity and insecurity regarding this whole Howard situation. While he brags about his own martial arts prowress and intimate knowledge of Howard's character, the question still remains: IF HE KNEW SO MUCH ABOUT ThIS SITUATION, THAN WHY IN GOD'S NAME DIDN'T HE DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT WHILE IT WAS GOING ON? He even freely admits to "witnessing it happen". Therein lies the true character of this person. He is obviously little more than an opportunist with a dull intellect and a laughably stupid sense of nobiliyt. I must also say that I am truly thankful that I did not "hang with his crew" because such an ordeal would probably kill more brain cells than is imaginable.

[Steve]

I would also like to post this website for the poster named Ricky, because I do believe it would do him a world of good. http://secure.hop.com/category.cfm...
It may be a little too advanced for his mental capacity, but with a little bit of work, he may actually be able to learn something.

[one of the victims]

George Bush and Steve need to stop making comments on something they obviously know nothing about. Maybe George and Steve should stop pretending to care about the victims. George was too busy making up lies about victims and spreading rumors. While Steve should mind his own business and fuck off. He lives in Chicago. This has nothing to do with him anyway. If you have nothing to say about Howard then stay off this forum

[Bob]

one of the victims wrote:

George Bush and Steve need to stop making comments on something they obviously know nothing about. Maybe George and Steve should stop pretending to care about the victims. George was too busy making up lies about victims and spreading rumors. While Steve should mind his own business and fuck off. He lives in Chicago. This has nothing to do with him anyway. If you have nothing to say about Howard then stay off this forum

You wonder why people like Steve and George even bother chiming in with something this serious. Sorry to hear of your ongoing troubles with the Mitchells. I hope you're getting the help you need. At first, I found it hard to believe that Manita would have your brother arrested. But I thought Howard was someone other than he turned out to be. So, I guess her behavior isn't all that unimaginable, in that light.

[Steve]

in response to this whole mess about me "not knowing what I'm talking about" and "pretending to care about the victims", I just want to say that first I know very well what I am talking about since I too attended Howard Mitchell's studio. Secondly, I care very much for the victim--I simply am responding to the stupid drivel which was coming out of the poster named Ricky's mouth. Cursing someone out in poor English and bragging about being the only one who knows what's going on certainly doesn't constitute care for the victim either. In fact, it belies the insecure and guilty conscience he has: he talks about how he is the only one who knew what was happening and yet he makes no mention of how he tried to stop this whole thing from happening. I can say with confidence that if I had known what Howard Mitchell had been doing to his students, I would have spoken up immediately and not have waited for the moment which was most convenient to me.

[one of the victims]

Just because you attended the school does not qualify you to put you two cents in about this court case. You do not have any clue what you are talking about and I will say it again. If you dont have anything to say about Howard get off this forum. You are proving what I said to be true by not commenting on Howard. Instead you are going off the subject and by making childish insults. If you want to make a discussion forum about Ricky go ahead. But stay off of this one. If you knew anything you would know that Ricky was the one who helped stop this whole thing and you can't say anything with confidence because you are too big of a pussy to even put your real name on the forum.

[Steve]

First off, I will not bother to remark about the "real name" comment, because as is readily apparent, you are not using yours. Secondly, everything I have said I have said with confidence and will continue to say because it is true. As for my opinion of Howard, I believe we all share the same opinion. He is a dirty low-life predator who deserves every second of the sentence he is receiving. Sadly, there are still people who carry on Howard's legacy. This is my point in commenting on Ricky, who, despite his illusions of grandeur and nobility, obviously is the dim-witted heir of Howard. You are right in saying that I could start an entire forum on Ricky, but I think this is more relevant, and is helpful in letting the less-enlightened among us realize the kind of person "Ricky" is.