Jose Anibal Macedo, a highly regarded Ellicott City dance instructor, has been arrested and charged with second-degree rape and a variety of related crimes against three young students, Howard County police announced yesterday.

Police said the crimes involved three girls who were 11, 12 and 13 at the time. All occurred during private dance lessons at Macedo's business, the Advanced Dance Academy in the 9300 block of Baltimore National Pike, police said.

Macedo, 41, of the 1100 block of Taylor Avenue in Halethorpe, Baltimore County, was also charged Thursday with attempted second-degree rape; second-, third- and fourth-degree sex offenses; and two counts of child abuse.

He was denied bail yesterday by Judge Louis A. Becker and was being held at the Howard County Detention Center last night.

The incidents began between November 1999 and April 2001, according to charging documents. The crimes were reported to police between February and this month, according to the documents. Police said the three girls approached them independently.

Macedo had about 50 students at his dance studio, police said.

Police said they have been investigating Macedo since February, when the first victim filed a complaint. They urged any parents whose children have had contact with Macedo to call police.

The following information is from charging documents filed by police:

The first victim, who was 11 at the time of the alleged abuse, said that Macedo put his fingers under her tights and rubbed her on three separate occasions while they were stretching in the first week of April of last year. Macedo continued to fondle her three to four times a week until May of last year.

The victim then told her mother that she didn't want to live and was taken to see a therapist. She reported the alleged crimes on Feb. 20 of this year, the documents say.

The second victim, who was 13 at the time of the alleged abuse, also said Macedo put his hands under her clothing and fondled her while helping her stretch in November 1999. After Macedo touched her breasts, the victim told him to stop, and Macedo said that in his native country of Peru, instructors often touch their students to help them stretch.

The abuse continued until August 2000, the documents say. The victim reported the alleged incidents on June 4 this year.

The third victim was 12 when Macedo began to kiss her on the lips after their private lessons in January 2000.

A year later, he tried to rape her while she changed clothes before her lessons on one occasion and forced her to perform oral sex about twice a week for nearly two years, according to the documents.

Macedo told the girl that she had to have oral sex with him if she wanted to continue studying with him. He also told the victim several times not to tell anyone about their encounters because it could ruin his career and he could lose his children, the documents say.

Police said that they did not have enough evidence to charge Macedo until they investigated the third victim's statement, which police received Dec. 10.

After the bail review hearing, Macedo's lawyer, Samuel J. Brown of Annapolis, said that his client was innocent. "We're shocked at the charges against Mr. Macedo. ... We're anxious to move this along as quickly as possible," he said.

Brown said that police contacted Macedo in September and that "we assumed there would be no charges brought."

Macedo's lawyers had argued that he deserves a reasonable bail amount, but Todd Givens, an assistant state's attorney, said authorities believe Macedo could flee to Peru.

"We might not see him again," Givens said.

Macedo's colleagues described him as a well-respected teacher and dancer.

Macedo has danced with the Maryland Festival Ballet and the Municipal Ballet Theater of Lima, Peru, according to his online resume. He has also trained dancers who have won medals at international competitions in Jackson, Miss., and Bulgaria, according to his resume.

"I respect his work. ... A lot of his dancers are championship dancers," said Carolyn Kelemen, who reviews dance for the Columbia Flier.

Some of Macedo's students and their parents said they are skeptical of the charges.

"I don't believe it," said Audrey Otero, whose daughter, Ann Newman, has studied with Macedo for nearly eight years and was scheduled to dance with him during a production of The Nutcracker at Howard Community College this weekend.

"[My daughter] has learned so much from him. ... He's a very nice person," Otero said.

Others said that ballet instruction often involves working in close quarters and that Macedo often had to lift students by their thighs and torsos.

"I was always very comfortable with him. He always said [to students]: 'If you're uncomfortable with [touching], we'll do something else,'" said a mother who would only speak under the condition of anonymity.

The woman said her daughter has studied with Macedo for nearly a decade.

Macedo did not appear in the opening performance of The Nutcracker on Thursday night, and some parents said the cast was distraught. Macedo's parts were performed by substitute dancers, and the cast was told that Macedo was sick or had been in an accident, parents said.

"Some of the girls were in tears," said another mother, who also requested to remain anonymous.

Police ask that anyone with further information contact them at 410-313-3200. Macedo is scheduled to have a second bail review hearing Tuesday.

Sun staff writers Jamie Smith Hopkins, Sandy Alexander and Lisa Goldberg contributed to this article.