Parents, law enforcement meet to discuss after school program owner

Parents of children enrolled at a Wilmington after school program met Thursday night to learn about the charges filed against the program’s owner.

Investigators notified the families of 42 children about the closed-door meeting with law enforcement and the district attorney’s office.

Sixty-one-year-old John Maisenhelder, who owns Creative After School Training, or CAST, faces three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child. After the meeting, one parent said they learned police have video of Maisenhelder inappropriately touching children. Some parents cannot believe the accusations.

Parent Natsumi Ueki said, “I personally asked my boy, one of my boys, and he said he never did anything wrong to him. He just has been a wonderful, wonderful karate teacher for my boys.”

Maisenhelder is in the New Hanover County Jail under $500,000 secured bond, reduced from $1 million dollars.

If parents have concerns about this investigation, they can call sheriff’s detectives at 910-279-9973.