At 38 Karate instructor sentenced to 26 years for sex with young Boy

BY NEAL PUTNAM, SAN DIEGO LGBT WEEKLY

Eric Dylan Protas

A judge on May 26 sentenced a karate instructor to 26 years in state prison for repeatedly having sex with a teenage male student.

Eric Dylan Protas, 38, of La Mesa, was married at the time and operated a popular martial arts studio in Allied Gardens when the sexual encounters took place in 2009 and 2010. His wife divorced him a year ago, and his studio went out of business after the boy, now 15, testified against him in a preliminary hearing.

His attorney, Al Arena, told El Cajon Superior Court Judge Peter Deddeh a psychological evaluation showed that Protas had “gender identity issues” and was likely gay.

Arena said Protas was not a pedophile or a sexual predator. “I think what happened was Mr. Protas … watched this young boy grow into a young man and quite frankly, fell in love with him,” said Arena to the judge.

“Now that doesn’t certainly justify his actions, nor does it excuse it, but I offer that by way of explanation,” said his attorney.

“He was really hiding his sexual orientation. Eric yearned to express his true sexuality,” said Arena afterwards.

The defense attorney said Protas grew up in a religious fundamentalist household and felt it was wrong to be gay. For whatever reason, Protas felt it was safe to have sex with his young student, said Arena, who added the boy “looked and acted older than his student age.”

Arena asked the judge to impose no more than 16 years. Protas pleaded guilty Feb. 23 to all 29 counts of lewd acts with a minor. Probation was denied.

Deputy District Attorney John Philpott and the probation department asked for the maximum sentence of 46 years in prison.

“Mr. Protas used his adult sophistication to do what the (prosecution) believes is classic grooming of the victim before molesting him,” said Philpott.

The prosecutor said DNA evidence was taken from his bedspread and showed Protas had sexual relations with other males, but it could not be determined if there were any other underage victims.

Many students of both sexes learned karate at the Allied Gardens School of Martial Arts which was open for about 15 years. No other students came forward with molestation accusations other than the one boy.

Protas will have to do 85 percent of the 26-year term before he can be paroled and will be required to register as a sex offender after he leaves prison. He was fined $10,000 and given credit for already serving approximately 170 days in jail.

“He only confessed – this isn’t said strongly enough – when all the evidence was laid out on the table in front of him,” said Jim Krebs, the victim’s uncle.

Krebs said the victim’s family was satisfied with the sentence as “it keeps him out of the community.”

Protas had no support or involvement with the LGBT community.

Posted by LGBT Weekly