Private art instructor charged with molesting students

A 64-year-old art instructor has been charged with two counts of felony child molestation after an investigation and arrest.

Bellevue police said they became aware in March of Telman Karimov, of Seattle, after Child Protective Services officials notified them of an allegation made by the parent of a 4-year-old victim.

Investigators said they learned that Karimov was giving private art lessons to seven or eight students in a space. The school and the surrounding office complex spaces are now abandoned.

“The children were actually going to that location for day care services. The parents actually hired this person as an art instructor,” said Capt. John McCracken of the Bellevue Police Department.

Three of those students, who were 4, 9, and 11 years old at the time, said they were inappropriately touched.

One reported Karimov put his hand down her pants. Another reported that Karimov had put the victim’s hands down his own pants.

The police investigation found that Karimov molested two child victims on multiple occasions.

He was arrested on Oct. 17. Karimov was charged with two counts of child molestation and has bonded out of jail. His bail was set at $150,000.

A letter has been sent to parents of children whom

Karimov has taught in the past, informing them of the allegations.

On Tuesday, police found out that Karimov had also volunteered to teach art classes on Saturdays at Da Vinci Children’s Center.

That center’s owners told KIRO 7 there were five children who occasionally took classes from Karimov. They have reached out to those families and found out none of them said there was any inappropriate behavior. The center also keeps surveillance cameras in every room, and those were reviewed to make sure children were safe.

They said Karimov was always a quiet man, and staff were shocked to find out about the allegations.

Any parents who believe that their children might have been molested by Karimov are asked to contact Bellevue police Detective Trizuto at 425-452-2819.

Karimov, who lives in an apartment complex in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, had introduced himself as an artist and carried art around the building, according to neighbors.

Neighbor Catherine Hunt said, “Thought about asking him about art, maybe he could paint something for me, so...I'm glad that interaction didn't happen.”

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