LIVINGSTON COUNTY, Mich. – A Pinckney school aide and Hamburg Township martial arts studio owner is facing felony charges, accused of sexual contact with a teenager.
Zachary Kaufman, 30, has been charged with three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a relationship.
Under Michigan law, the charge alleges non-consensual sexual contact with a victim between the ages of 13 and 15, and applies when the accused either lived with or was related to the victim.
Arraignment, bond set
Kaufman was arraigned in Livingston County court, where a judge set a $500,000 cash surety bond. He was also ordered to have no contact with the victim, the victim’s family or anyone under the age of 18.
People who knew Kaufman say they are stunned by the news.
“I’m just like what? Huh? Really,” said a woman who works near Kaufman’s martial arts studio.
During the arraignment, Kaufman’s defense attorney, Vincent Haisha, told the court a previous allegation from the same person had been investigated and that Kaufman had been cleared.
Prosecutors pushed back, detailing the earlier allegation and arguing it remains relevant to the current case.
Livingston County Prosecutor Carolyn J. Henry outlined what she described as a pattern of behavior leading up to the alleged contact.
“This defendant went through a period of grooming this minor victim, purchasing expensive gifts, taking the victim on trips,” Henry said.
School bars Kaufman from property amid charges
Parents say classes at Kaufman’s Way of Life Martial Arts studio in Hamburg are continuing under other instructors. Parents say they were told Kaufman was “on vacation.
He also worked as a part-time teacher’s aide at Light of the World Academy in Pinckney.
The school says Kaufman is a former employee and is barred from school property.
In a statement, the school’s leader said, “Our focus is on ensuring the safety of our students and arranging for counseling and other support services for students and families as needed.”
The neighbor near the martial arts studio, who asked not to be identified, did not hold back in her reaction.
“The word is going to spread like a wildfire. It sucks to be him. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, but you did it to yourself,” she said.
Hamburg police did not respond to a request for comment.
Kaufman’s parents, encountered in the courthouse hallway, said their son is innocent and that they intend to prove it.