A former central New Jersey karate school instructor has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to sexual offenses against two 16-year-old girls.

Joel Levy pleaded guilty in September to one count of sexual assault and one count of criminal sexual contact. He was sentenced Monday to three years in prison and will register as a sex offender under Megan's Law.

Levy owns the Family Martial Arts Academy in Highland Park. He also worked at New Brunswick High School overseeing students serving in-school suspensions.

Levy will be banned from working as a public school teacher in New Jersey.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office says Levy acknowledged committing the assaults against one of the girls between November 2009 and January 2010 and against the other girl last March.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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