Martial arts instructor indicted on child rape charges

Written By: Andrew Cauthen
8/3/11
Categorized in: Crime, DeKalb News

A Lithonia martial arts instructor and a 2012 Olympic hopeful has been indicted on three counts surrounding the alleged rape of a girl at his school.

Adrian Thomas Spellen, owner and head instructor of Powerkicks Martial Arts, located at 3026 Miller Road in Lithonia, is accused of two counts of rape and one count of aggravated child molestation.

The grand jury indictment stated that Spellen, 27, who lives in Ellenwood, committed “an immoral and indecent act” to a child under the age of 10, injuring her.

The rapes allegedly occurred in May and June of this year.

“These allegations are extremely serious and we will continue to work to ensure justice for the victim and her loved ones,” said DeKalb District Attorney Robert James in a statement.

According to Spellen’s company website, he has been competing and training in tae kwon do for nearly 20 years. He is a certified instructor, has black belt, and has coached 38 state and regional champions, and five national champions. Spellen is a five-time national champion and won a silver medal at the 2010 South American Games in Medellin, Colombia.

Spellen has been released on a $100,000 bond and ordered not to have any contact with minors except for family members.

Comments (1)

Rafael

Said this on 7/29/12 At 07:20 am

I so agree that being self employed can be both scary and great at the same time. The start up can be exratihaling then when the hard work kicks it it always gets a little lonely.I personally missed being part of a large company, because I went form managing over 100 staff to managing zero! That why I love that you have gone into a partnership. It something that changed my business. Not only did it mean my business was not only me, but it also motivated me to work that little bit harder.I now only ever start a new venture with a reliable partner. It stops me feeling I a alone and allows me to celebrate milestones with someone who actually cares too!The fact that you learned and then taught martial arts shows that you have dedication and commitment. I'm sure you will master the online world soon enough too.

New comments are currently disabled.

Archived News