The warrant says her mother had been attending a retreat in which she learned several other women accused Karelis of sexual abuse. In 2003, the girl's mother confronted the girl, asking her, 'What's up with you and Bill Karelis?' Prior to the conversation, according to the warrant, the girl's parents had encouraged her relationship with Karelis because of their faith but were seemingly unaware of the alleged abuse. But it says that the abuse started around the year 2000. It's unclear how old the victim was when the abuse first began as the warrant is redacted. The alleged abuse went on for years, according to the warrant, though the girl told police that Karelis only performed oral sex on her and kissed her. But at some point, the girl started increasingly being asked to come stay at his home in Boulder, where she would stay in a separate room and Karelis would allegedly perform oral sex on her after his wife went to sleep. Karelis met the young girl at the Shambhala Center, a Buddhist community, when he was a teacher and leader at meditation retreats.Īccording to a warrant for his arrest, Karelis was the girl's meditation instructor and the two formed a close bond.

The child was sexually assaulted by Karelis several times, starting in 2000 when she was 13 years old, police said.

A 71-year-old man is accused of sexually assaulting a teen he met through the Shambhala Buddhist community in Boulder and groomed in the early 2000s before he was expelled from the community.īoulder police arrested William Lloyd Karelis, 71, on Friday on a charge of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.

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