Enfield Martial Arts Instructor Guilty In Sexual Assault Case Involving Teen

ENFIELD, CT — A jury has convicted an Enfield man on multiple sex crime charges after prosecutors said he sexually assaulted a teenage student while working as an instructor at a martial arts studio in town.

Aaron Stiles, 24, was found guilty March 20 in Hartford Superior Court of second-degree sexual assault, third-degree sexual assault and first-degree unlawful restraint, according to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.

Prosecutors said the victim was 16 at the time and was a student at the Enfield martial arts studio where Stiles, then 21, worked as a certified instructor.

Evidence at trial showed what prosecutors described as an ongoing pattern of sexually inappropriate conduct. The jury also heard testimony about a May 2022 incident in which Stiles followed the girl into a changing area at the studio, restrained her by the throat and assaulted her, authorities said.

Authorities did not name the studio where the suspect worked.

Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Danielle O’Connell prosecuted the case with the help of Inspector Carlos Ocasio and Paralegal Specialist Kelly Randall. Judge Nuala E. Droney presided over the trial.

Hartford Judicial District State’s Attorney Sharmese L. Walcott said in a statement that she was grateful to the victim and her family for their resolve during the court process, and thanked the trial team for its work on the case.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 15 in Hartford Superior Court.