PETER CHANNELL OF WATERLOO JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULTS DURING KUNG FU CLASSES IN LIVERPOOL

In December 2009, Peter Channell, a 60-year-old Kung Fu instructor based in Waterloo, was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Liverpool Crown Court after being found guilty of sexually assaulting two young girls during martial arts classes. The court proceedings revealed disturbing details about Channell’s misconduct, which took place at the Lee Shan Kung-Fu Club located on South Road, Waterloo.

Channell’s offenses involved carefully orchestrated one-on-one training sessions with the victims, who were aged 11 and nine at the time. The court heard that he arranged these private lessons knowing that no other students or staff would be present, creating an environment conducive to abuse. On March 8, during one such session, Channell inappropriately touched one of the girls on her chest. The very next day, he engaged in further misconduct by partially undressing the other girl and kissing her.

Furthermore, Channell coerced the girls into touching him on the groin area during what he claimed were “special Kung-Fu moves,” telling them that such actions were what “would happen for real” in an actual attack. These acts of manipulation and abuse were uncovered during a nine-day trial, culminating in a unanimous conviction by the jury on two counts of sexual assault and two counts of inciting sexual behavior.

During the sentencing hearing, Channell’s defense barrister, Teresa Loftus, described her client as a “broken man” and presented approximately 180 letters of support from friends, family, and colleagues. She emphasized that Channell was a man of “exemplary character in all aspects of life,” including his roles as a father, grandfather, friend, tutor, and local businessman. Despite these character references, Judge John Phipps dismissed any plea for a suspended sentence, condemning Channell’s actions as a betrayal of trust.

In his remarks, Judge Phipps stated, “You sexually assaulted two young girls who were entrusted into your care. You deliberately set up the weekend to abuse these girls. You prepared the ground and disguised your true intentions behind the guise of a legitimate Kung-Fu course. You have lost your good character and reputation.”

Victim impact statements read aloud in court painted a grim picture of the lasting effects of Channell’s abuse. The first victim reportedly became less confident and experienced bullying at school. She also expressed regret for not telling anyone about the incident sooner, which might have prevented the subsequent assault on her friend the following day.

During the trial, a woman came forward claiming that Channell had also attacked her in a similar manner when she was 11 years old, adding a disturbing dimension to the case. As part of his sentence, Channell was ordered to register as a sex offender and was issued a Sexual Offences Prevention Order. This order prohibits him from teaching children under 16 without a qualified instructor and from engaging in one-to-one training sessions, whether supervised or not, in an effort to prevent further abuse.