A martial arts instructor in McKinney has been arrested and charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child.
The two victims, police said, are students at Tiger Rock Martial Arts in McKinney where the suspect, Timothy Vidal, was an instructor and co-owner.
Vidal was arrested March 5 on one count of sexual assault of a child. McKinney police charged him Wednesday with another count. He was already in jail.
One victim told an interviewer Vidal first kissed her on the lips in the summer of 2015 when she was 14 years old, according to an arrest affidavit.
The victim says Vidal forced her to have sex with him on four different occassions within the past six months, the affidavit states, including twice at a storage unit used by the business, at his condo during a competition in Galveston and at a hotel in Allen.
The victim, who also worked at Tiger Rock Martial Arts, came forward after learning Vidal was arrested on the separate case in Allen. Investigators in Allen say the 16-year-old victim is also a student at Tiger Rock Martial Arts.
Vidal is a father and husband. Bags and boxes full of his plaques and trophies could be seen stacked up on the curb outside his McKinney home.
Online records show his wife filed for divorce on Monday.
Police are working to determine if there are additional victims.
"We saw nothing in Tim Vidal's character that would indicate he was capable of anything like this...It's hard to believe this is actually happening," the parent of a female student told NBC 5.
Vidal is being held in the Collin County Jail on $150,000 bond. The school fired Vidal after learning of the allegations against him.
Tiger Rock Martial Arts of McKinney Inc. released the following statement Wednesday morning:
To the community,
On Monday, April 3rd, after learning of allegations of a crime against a minor, Tiger Rock Martial Arts of McKinney Inc. terminated Tim Vidal. On Wednesday April 5th Tim Vidal was charged with a crime against a minor.
At this time, further questions regarding this incident are best directed to the McKinney and Allen police departments.
We take this situation very seriously and are committed to providing a safe environment for all members. We have a NO TOLERANCE policy and took swift and immediate action upon learning of these allegations on Monday.
We require all of our instructors to undergo annual background checks, annual recertification, as well as ongoing instructor education. Although we are collectively saddened and shocked about this situation, we stand together as a community of families that is totally committed to a positive future and a continuation of our work and mission.
Respectfully submitted,
Tiger Rock Martial Arts of McKinney Inc.
McKinney police are asking anyone who is a victim of sexual assault involving Timothy Vidal to contact Detective Kennedy at 972-547-2842 or ckennedy@mckinneytexas.org.
