A court appearance for Rabbi Ephraim Karp was scheduled for Jan. 28 in Queens Criminal Court in New York, a spokesperson for the Queens district attorney’s office said.

After Karp’s hearing, it was expected that authorities in Maryland would pick him up and transport him there to face charges in that state, the spokesperson said.

Karp, director of spiritual living at Menorah Park Center for Senior Living in Beachwood, was arrested Jan. 15 in New York on an active felony warrant issued by the District Court of Maryland, Baltimore County. The Baltimore County Police Department has obtained the arrest warrant, according to a Jan. 22 press release from the department.

The press release stated Karp has been identified as a suspect in connection with the sexual abuse of a minor in Baltimore County. On Dec. 31, Baltimore County police received information that a juvenile female living in Baltimore County had been sexually abused over a period of time by the suspect, listed as Frederick Martin Karp in the press release.

The warrant charges Karp, 50, with sexual abuse of a minor, continuing course of conduct; perverted practice; a second-degree sex offense and a third-degree sex offense.

Police detectives from Baltimore County traveled to Beachwood two weeks ago to interview Karp, a Beachwood resident, at his home, said Corp. John Wachter, public information officer for the Baltimore County Police Department. Based on their investigation, police obtained an arrest warrant with the charges against Karp, he said.

“Detectives spoke with Karp at his home once,” Wachter said in an email. “When they returned a second time, he was not there.”

Wachter said he could not be specific about dates and times.

Karp was later located by police at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and taken into custody.

Karp is president of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains, formerly known as the National Association of Jewish Chaplains, and was en route to the annual NAJC conference in Jerusalem at the time of his arrest, a spokesperson for Menorah Park said.

Gail Herman, administrative assistant to NAJC executive vice president Cecille Asekoff, issued this statement Jan. 22 on behalf of NAJC:

“We understand that this matter is in the hands of the authorities, and we have trust that they will handle this sad situation as appropriate for everyone who may be involved. We have no further comment.”

When asked about Karp’s status as president of NAJC, Herman repeated, “We have no further comment.”

Beachwood Police Chief Keith Winebrenner said his department is waiting to see if the investigation of Karp in Maryland discloses any incidents of sexual abuse in Beachwood.

“So far nothing has been reported to have happened here (in Beachwood),” he said.