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	Ex-Teacher Is Charged in 2001 Sex Abuse By Emma Graves Fitzsimmons Chicago Tribune September 7, 2007 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-lofton_websep08,1,1429341.story?ctrack=3&cset=true A former English teacher at a Catholic school on Chicago's South Side was held in lieu of $300,000 bail this afternoon in the sexual assault case of a teenage student almost six years ago. Roderick Lofton, 41, was charged this week with felony criminal sexual assault against one of his students while he was a teacher at St. Dorothy School in the 7400 block of South Eberhart Avenue, police said. Prosecutors said during his bond hearing that Lofton befriended his 14-year-old student in 2001 and bought her a cell phone so they could talk about personal things. Lofton then allegedly began sexually assaulting the student, who came forward in 2004. Lofton, of the 900 block of Spruce Street in Hammond, Ind., was arrested shortly before noon Wednesday while he was at work in the 4700 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, police said. He was located after an investigative alert was issued, said Chicago Police Officer Marcel Bright. Lofton admitted he had sex with the student in a handwritten statement, said Assistant State's Atty. Araceli De La Cruz. She would not comment about why it took three years to file the charges after the girl came forward. Lofton is a single parent, and he is no longer a teacher, said his public defender, lawyer John Conniff. He is an assistant manager at a Murray's Discount Auto Store where he was arrested. He plays the organ at a Baptist church, and he received a bachelor's degree in sociology from Hampton University, his lawyer said. A person in the office at St. Dorothy School on Friday said the current principal was not in charge at the time of the incident. She had no further comment, she said. Contact: efitzsimmons@tribune.com
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