William Lloyd Karelis & Michael Smith, Boulder, Colorado (arrested Feb/June 2019)[child sex assault]

Second former Boulder Shambhala member accused of sexual assault on a child

For the second time in five months, police have arrested a former member of Boulder’s Shambhala Center on allegations of sexually assaulting a child he was introduced to through the Buddhist community. Michael Smith, 54, was arrested Friday morning on suspicion of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. According to a news release, the named was sexually assaulted by Smith multiple times beginning in 1997 when she was 13 years old. Smith was introduced to the girl through his membership in the Boulder Shambhala. Boulder police said a second woman came forward and ...

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https://www.denverpost.com/2019/06/28/boulder-shambhala-sexual-assault/

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[google]Second former Boulder Shambhala member accused of sexual assault on a child[/google]

 

Buddhist official tells police alleged abuse victim was exploring her sexuality

An official in the Buddhist group Shambhala International told police in May that a young woman was “exploring her own sexuality” when she was sexually assaulted more than a decade ago at age 13 by another man in the group and that her “exploration” fed the man’s addiction to pornography, according to a police incident report. The official, Dennis L. Southward, 70, also told police that the woman “could do a lot of damage” to an important member of the community if she pressed charges against her alleged abuser, 54-year-old Michael Smith. “Southward also pointed out that this incident occurred ...

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https://janariess.religionnews.com/...ged-abuse-victim-was-exploring-her-sexuality/

 

Buddhist official tells police alleged abuse victim was exploring her sexuality

Police said the two survivors do not know each other and that the women came forward after police in Boulder arrested former Shambhala teacher William L. Karelis, 71, in February for allegedly ...

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https://religionnews.com/2019/07/01/buddhist-official-tells-police-alleged-abuse-victim-was-exploring-her-sexuality/

 

Report: Shambhala had former member go through therapy instead of Boulder police after reported sex assault

A former Shambhala member accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl he met through the community underwent therapy and treatment in 1998 in exchange for his name being withheld from police, a deal police reports indicate was orchestrated by a man known in the Boulder Buddhist community as someone who “deals” with “family conflicts or domestic violence issues.” That same man, Dennis Southward, also tried to convince Boulder police an investigation into the suspect, Michael Smith, “could do a lot of damage to someone in the community,” and told a detective the named victim in the case was just “exploring ...

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https://www.dailycamera.com/2019/07...of-boulder-police-after-reported-sex-assault/

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[google]Report: Shambhala had former member go through therapy instead of Boulder police after reported sex assault[/google]



Former Shambhala member went to therapy instead of Boulder police after reported sex assault, report says

A former Shambhala member accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl he met through the community underwent therapy and treatment in 1998 in exchange for his name being withheld from police, a deal police reports indicate was orchestrated by a man known in the Boulder Buddhist community as someone who “deals” with “family conflicts or domestic violence issues.” That same man, Dennis Southward, also tried to convince Boulder police an investigation into the suspect, Michael Smith, “could do a lot of damage to someone in the community,” and told a detective the named victim in the case was just “exploring ...

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https://www.denverpost.com/2019/07/03/shambhala-sex-assault-boulder-police-therapy/

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[google]Former Shambhala member went to therapy instead of Boulder police after reported sex assault, report says[/google]

 

Shambhala, the Boulder-born Buddhist organization, suppressed allegations of abuse, ex-members say

Ariel Hall loved her Tibetan meditation cushion, a maroon-and-saffron pillow that helped melt away the strains of daily life during visits to her local Shambhala center. She began meditating as a curious New York University undergraduate, her intrigue eventually drawing her to Colorado, the birthplace and a present-day hub of her chosen strain of Buddhism. But after Hall in 2008 moved to the Shambhala Mountain Center — the international Buddhist organization’s sweeping 600-acre meditation grounds in the foothills west of Fort Collins — she faced a challenge that going to her cushion couldn’t solve. When Hall sought help extricating herself ...

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https://www.denverpost.com/2019/07/07/shambhala-sexual-abuse/

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[google]Shambhala, the Boulder-born Buddhist organization, suppressed allegations of abuse, ex-members say[/google]



Ex-members: Shambhala, Boulder-born Buddhist organization, suppressed allegations of abuse

Late last month, Boulder police arrested a second former Shambhala member ... A woman identified as Smith’s girlfriend at the time told police a spiritual teacher advised the girl’s parents “not to ...

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https://www.dailycamera.com/2019/07/08/boulder-shambhala-sexual-abuse/

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[google]Ex-members: Shambhala, Boulder-born Buddhist organization, suppressed allegations of abuse[/google]

 

Report: Shambhala had former member go through therapy instead of Boulder police after reported sex assault

A former Shambhala member accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl he met through the community underwent therapy and treatment in 1998 in exchange for his name being withheld from police, a deal police reports indicate was orchestrated by a man known in the Boulder Buddhist community as someone who “deals” with “family conflicts or domestic violence issues.” That same man, Dennis Southward, also tried to convince Boulder police an investigation into the suspect, Michael Smith, “could do a lot of damage to someone in the community,” and told a detective the named victim in the case was just “exploring ...

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https://www.coloradodaily.com/2019/...of-boulder-police-after-reported-sex-assault/

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[google]Report: Shambhala had former member go through therapy instead of Boulder police after reported sex assault[/google]

 

Former Shambhala teacher set for trial in Boulder sex assault case

A former Shambhala teacher accused of sexually assaulting a girl he was mentoring is set for trial in 2020. William Karelis, 72, on Friday in Boulder District Court pleaded not guilty to sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and was set for a seven-day trial starting June 15, according to court records. Karelis, who is free on $10,000 bond, also is set for motions hearings on Feb. 11 and April 1. According to an affidavit, Karelis met the girl in the 1990s when she was about 8 through Shambhala, when Karelis was assigned ...

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https://www.dailycamera.com/2019/12...er-set-for-trial-in-boulder-sex-assault-case/

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[google]Former Shambhala teacher set for trial in Boulder sex assault case[/google]

 

Top 10 local stories of 2019 No. 3 — Shambhala scandals continue with arrests of two former teachers, revelation of a fixer

The year 2019 was difficult for members of Shambhala, the Boulder-born Buddhist and mindfulness community, with multiple revelations of sexual misconduct by members past and present, most notably its leader. News of Shambhala during the year was dominated by continuing revelations stemming from the sexual misconduct scandal surrounding Shambhala International’s leader, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Allegations against him surfaced in a three-part report called the Buddhist Sunshine Project, which detailed allegations from anonymous women with first- and secondhand accounts of sexual misconduct by Mipham and other high-ranking Shambhala officials. Mipham said in a statement he would step back form his leadership ...

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https://www.dailycamera.com/2019/12...of-two-former-teachers-revelation-of-a-fixer/

[archiv]https://www.dailycamera.com/2019/12/28/top-10-local-stories-of-2019-no-3-shambhala-scandals-continue-with-arrests-of-two-former-teachers-revelation-of-a-fixer/ [/archiv]

[google]Top 10 local stories of 2019 No. 3 — Shambhala scandals continue with arrests of two former teachers, revelation of a fixer[/google]

 

Larimer County Sheriff’s Office closes investigation into Shambhala Mountain Center

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office has closed its investigation into alleged sexual misconduct at the Shambhala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes without filing any charges. In a newsletter published Sunday evening, Shambhala Mountain Center’s executive director, Michael Gayner, announced that the investigation had been closed. Sheriff’s Office spokesman David Moore confirmed to the Reporter-Herald that the statement was accurate. Shambhala Mountain Center is one of two major land centers in the U.S. connected to Shambhala International, a Buddhist organization founded in Boulder in the 1970s by exiled Tibetan religious leader Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. The organization was rocked in 2018 ...

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https://www.reporterherald.com/2020...investigation-into-shambhala-mountain-center/

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[google]Larimer County Sheriff’s Office closes investigation into Shambhala Mountain Center[/google]



Larimer County Sheriff’s Office closes investigation into Shambhala Mountain Center

In June, Boulder police arrested another former Boulder Shambhala member ... Pema Chodron, a Buddhist monk and internationally recognized author and speaker, stepped down from her position as a senior ...

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https://www.denverpost.com/2020/02/...investigation-into-shambhala-mountain-center/

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[google]Larimer County Sheriff’s Office closes investigation into Shambhala Mountain Center[/google]




Larimer County Sheriff’s Office closes investigation into Shambhala Mountain Center

In June, Boulder police arrested another former Boulder Shambhala member ... Pema Chodron, a Buddhist monk and internationally recognized author and speaker, stepped down from her position as a senior ...

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https://www.dailycamera.com/2020/02...investigation-into-shambhala-mountain-center/

[archiv]https://www.dailycamera.com/2020/02...investigation-into-shambhala-mountain-center/ [/archiv]

[google]Larimer County Sheriff’s Office closes investigation into Shambhala Mountain Center[/google]

 

Former Boulder Shambhala community member pleads guilty to child sex assault

A man who subjected a young girl to years of sexual contact beginning when she was 13 pleaded guilty to numerous felonies, including attempted sexual assault on a child, according to the 12th Judicial District Attorney's Office. Michael Smith, 55, also pleaded guilty to first-degree assault. He sexually assaulted the victim multiple times, beginning in 1997, according to Boulder Police. He and the victim met when he was staying at her parent’s house in the late 1990s. Both Smith and the girl's parents were part of the Shambhala community, according to investigators. Smith started grooming the victim and ultimately subjected ...

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https://www.9news.com/article/news/...sault/73-55d2f736-0f21-490e-b0c1-f023337fde39

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[google]Former Boulder Shambhala community member pleads guilty to child sex assault[/google]

 

Former Shambhala teacher has Boulder sex assault pushed back to spring of 2021

A former Shambhala teacher accused of sexually assaulting a girl he was mentoring had his trial pushed back to the spring of 2021 due to concerns about the impact of the coronavirus. William Karelis, 72, in December pleaded not guilty to sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and was set for a seven-day trial starting Sept. 21. But at a remote motions hearing Tuesday, Karelis’ attorney Paul McCormick asked Boulder District Judge Bruce Langer that the trial be delayed due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. McCormick said some witnesses have said they are ...

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https://www.dailycamera.com/2020/07...er-sex-assault-pushed-back-to-spring-of-2021/

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[google]Former Shambhala teacher has Boulder sex assault pushed back to spring of 2021[/google]

 

Boulder sex assault trial of former Shambhala teacher delayed to October

A former Shambhala teacher accused of sexually assaulting a girl he was mentoring had his trial pushed back yet again, this time to October. William Karelis, 72, pleaded not guilty to sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust back in December 2019. Since then, Karelis has had several trial settings canceled, mostly due to concerns and trial stoppages caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Karelis was set for trial starting April 12, but online court records show that trial date has also been delayed. Karelis is now set for a seven-day trial starting Oct. 11. ...

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https://www.dailycamera.com/2021/04...-former-shambhala-teacher-delayed-to-october/

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Boulder sex assault trial of former Shambhala teacher delayed to October

A former Shambhala teacher accused of sexually assaulting a girl he was mentoring had his trial pushed back yet again, this time to October. William Karelis, 72, pleaded not guilty to sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust back in December 2019. Since then, Karelis has had several trial settings canceled, mostly due to concerns and trial stoppages caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Karelis was set for trial starting April 12, but online court records show that trial date has also been delayed. Karelis is now set for a seven-day trial starting Oct. 11. ...

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https://news.yahoo.com/news/boulder-sex-assault-trial-former-032100920.html

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Boulder sex assault trial of former Shambhala teacher delayed to October

2—A former Shambhala teacher accused of sexually assaulting a girl he was ... Karelis resigned from Shambhala in 2009. When he was arrested in February of 2019, Shambhala's board released a statement ...

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https://news.yahoo.com/boulder-sex-assault-trial-former-032100920.html

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Boulder DA dismisses sex assault case against former Shambhala teacher

The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office has dismissed the case against a former Shambhala teacher accused of sexually assaulting a girl he was mentoring after prosecutors said the named victim in the case decided not to testify. William Karelis, 72, had been charged with sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and was set for trial starting Monday. But in a motion filed Wednesday, the Boulder District Attorney’s Office moved to dismiss the case after the named victim in the case elected not to cooperate with a trial. “The victim in this matter has ...

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https://www.dailycamera.com/2021/10...assault-case-against-former-shambhala-teacher

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DA drops sex assault case against former meditation teacher

Prosecutors have moved to dismiss the case against a former teacher from a Buddhist meditation center who was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl. The Daily Camera reports the Boulder County ...

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https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-boulder-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-meditation-religion-5c092ea5a5acc30f9ed084f1456d1c31

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DA drops sex assault case against former Boulder meditation teacher

William Karelis, 72, had been charged with sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and was set to go to trial Monday ...

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https://coloradosun.com/2021/10/08/william-karelis-charges-dropped/

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