An Orem karate instructor booked in June on suspicion of raping and molesting a 14-year-old student in his karate class was declared incompetent to stand trial, though Kenneth Higa is “likely to be restored,” according to court documentation.

Fourth District Court Judge James Taylor made the decision Thursday, with Higa’s defense attorney Glen Thomas not fighting it.

“State to prepare the appropriate order,” the documentation read.

In January, Higa, 81, was scheduled in January to undergo a third competency review before returning to court the next month. The competency hearing was re-scheduled from Feb. 15 to Thursday.

Higa was arrested by the Orem Police Department on suspicion of two first-degree felonies of object rape and two third-degree felonies of sexual abuse of a minor.

The young girl told police she had missed multiple scheduled karate lessons and Higa made arrangements for her to attend a class alone on weekend mornings. Higa told her that it was impractical to heat the entire karate studio for just her, so he needed to instruct her in the cooler basement, according to the case’s probable cause statement.

After the class, Higa told the child to lay down while he gave her a massage. Higa rubbed her thighs before he touching her inappropriately, the report says.

Higa continued to make excuses to take the child to the basement to practice. The abuse occurred two times, according to the statement.

Higa told police when being questioned that he touched the child inappropriately, the report says.