Karate teacher charged with child porn, may have fled country

BETHESDA, Md. - Police say a karate teacher who taped sex acts with male students has fled the country.

Alexander Soumbadze, 26, is being charged with eight counts of possession of child pornography, according to the Montgomery County Police statement. Police say that he is the son of a diplomats and that they believe he fled to the former Soviet republic of Georgia on April 3, reports CBS affiliate WUSA.

Police say they have videos of Soumbadze touching and engaging in sexual acts with young males in a Chevy Chase, Md., karate studio. They're looking for the victims in the videos.

According to the statement, police searched Soumbadze's home on April 1 after getting a report in December 2014 that someone in the county was uploading child porn. They tracked the uploads to Soumbadze's address, and allegedly to trading and getting child pornography.

Police seized electronic devices and say they found eight child porn videos.

Investigators also say they found videos of the teacher touching and "engaging in sexual acts with what appear to be adolescent males and young adults" who "seem to have knowledge that they are being videotaped."

Police say the videos were taken before October 2011 at a karate studio formerly known as DC Martial Arts in Chevy Chase. According to police, Soumbadze had been a student at the studio before becoming a teacher, and that when the business changed ownership he became a partner and the studio changed its name to On The Mat Sports International.

Investigators say they are looking for potential victims in the case to determine whether additional criminal acts were committed.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest on child pornography.