Norwalk Kumon Owner Accused of Lewd Acts With 13-Year-Old Girl; Students May Transfer

A national chain of tutoring companies this past weekend said students at its Norwalk center may transfer to other company locations following the arrest of a tutor accused of committing sex crimes against a 13-year-old student, as deputies seek any possible other victims.

Kumon North America Inc. issued a press release Saturday that said all of its franchise owners undergo background checks, including an FBI check. The company said its Norwalk franchisee, Frank Chung, underwent and passed such a check.

Chung, 63, was arrested without incident at his home in La Palma last Thursday afternoon, and is being held in lieu of $1 million bail for suspicion of lewd acts with a minor, said Sgt Daniel Scott of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Special Victims Bureau.

Chung is scheduled to appear at the Bellflower Courthouse at 8:30 a.m. today.

For five years, Chung has worked at his Kumon Learning Center franchise in Norwalk, Scott said. He also spent some 25 years tutoring children in Northern California, and deputies are investigating if other children may have been molested.

The Kumon corporation said its "highest priority is the safety and education of its students.'' In its statement, the company said it would allow parents “to immediately transfer students to any other Kumon Center if they would prefer to do so at no additional cost to the family.''

The Norwalk center, located at 11657 The Plaza, was closed over the weekend, but the company said it would reopen with different teachers today.

Some of the closest Kumon centers to the Norwalk area include:

• , 11889 Del Amo Blvd. in Cerritos
• Kumon, 7002 Moody Street, #201 in La Palma

Kumon, which was founded in Japan in 1958, is the world’s largest after-school math and reading enrichment program. It allows students of all ages and abilities to build the skills necessary to have a richer, more successful education experience through daily math and reading exercises that build upon the concept of repetition.

Scott said an investigation into Chung's conduct was launched after the victim, a 13-year-old girl, was overheard telling a sibling of inappropriate sexual contacts with the suspect on several occasions.

“Based on the investigation, detectives from the Special Victims Bureau believe there are more victims and are requesting help from the public,'' Scott said.

Anyone with information about Chung is asked to call the Sheriff's Special Victims Bureau at (877) 710-LASD.

- City News Service contributed to this report.