Miami Beach Rabbi Accused of Molestation May Have Tried to Buy off Victim's Mother

By Kyle Munzenrieder
New Times
June 23, 2015

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/miami-beach-rabbi-accused-of-molestation-may-have-tried-to-buy-off-victims-mother-7703213

Steve Karro

Steve Karro, a substitute rabbi at Shaare Ezra Sephardic Congregation and a well-known local artist with his own gallery in Miami Beach, was arrested last month on charges that he molested an 11-year-old girl. Now the child's family claims Karro handed the alleged victim's mother $500 in cash just days before his arrest in order to buy her silence.

Karro was a friend of the family and had known the girl most of her life. The incident happened April 16 at Karro's Arthur Godfrey Road gallery, where he allegedly grabbed the girl's buttocks, sat her on his lap, and kissed her neck. The girl ran off but claims Karro gave her a bag of candy and told her not to tell her mother. Karro says he was simply trying to "cleanse" the girl of "negative energy.