Baltimore County Police: Rabbi Charged with Sex Offenses

An Ohio rabbi has been charged with sex offenses involving a Baltimore County minor, police said Thursday.

Frederick Martin Karp, 50, of Beachwood, Ohio, is accused of sexually abusing a girl living in Baltimore County, police said in a statement.

Baltimore County police learned on Dec. 31 that a girl living in Baltimore County had been sexually abused ”over a period of time” by a suspect identified as Karp, who is a rabbi in Ohio, the statement said.

Last week, Baltimore County detectives went to Ohio to interview Karp and later obtained a warrant for his arrest; but when they returned to serve it, he was gone, police said.

The day Baltimore County police were attempting to find Karp, he was arrested by New York Transit Authority Police who were aware of the warrant at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Fox 8 reported.

Karp is charged with sexual abuse of a minor (continuing course of conduct), perverted practice, second-degree sex offense and third-degree sex offense, according to police. Maryland law defines a “continuing course of conduct” as at least three rape acts within a 90-day period involving a juvenile under 14 years old.

While Baltimore County police would not disclose specifics, the department said in a statement: “The investigation so far has not indicated that there were any incidents of abuse at a Baltimore area Jewish facility.”

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Karp is the president of the Association of Jewish Chaplains and director of spiritual living at Menorah Park for Senior Living in Beachwood, Ohio, according to Fox 8, the local affiliate in Cleveland.

A spokesperson for the Association of Jewish Chaplains told the Baltimore Jewish Times that Karp was on his way to the association’s annual conference in Jerusalem, Israel. That conference starts Monday, Jan. 26.

Karp was arrested at 9:25 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, at the airport in New York as a fugitive of justice, according to the Baltimore Jewish Times.

He was awaiting extradition to Maryland as of Thursday, Jan. 22, Baltimore County police said in a statement.

Karp, who grew up in Long Island, N.Y., and previously worked as chaplain for the Jewish Federation of Monmouth County in New Jersey, according to the Baltimore Jewish Times.

The Baltimore County Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit is continuing to investigate, police said.

Screenshot from Fox 8 YouTube video of Rabbi Frederick Karp auditioning for “Cleveland’s Funniest Rabbi.”