Woodridge trainer gets 4 years for sex abuse of teen
A former trainer accused of sexually abusing a Naperville teen in the hot tub at a Warrenville fitness center and other locations was sentenced to four years in prison.
Robert Theodore, 61, who has a previous sexual abuse conviction, pleaded guilty in December to one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He is accused of abusing the 16-year-old at his home on the 3800 block of Hagen Court in Woodridge, at the boy's home and at LifeTime Fitness in Warrenville while acting as his personal trainer.
“Mr. Theodore used his position as a trusted coach to take advantage of a young, innocent boy in the worst possible way,” State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a written statement. “His vile actions are not those of a coach who is devoted to the physical and emotional development of a young athlete, but are those of a sexually deviant man who cared nothing about his victim and the pain and suffering he caused.”
Theodore also pleaded guilty in the 1980s to the attempted molestation of a 12-year-old boy he met through a youth mentoring program in Arizona, according to prosecutors. He later worked as a track coach at Lisle High School but was fired amid complaints about his interaction with students, prosecutors said.
The Naperville teen's family has a pending lawsuit against LifeTime and Theodore, accusing the fitness center of not checking the trainer's background.
Theodore, who was sentenced Wednesday, will be required to serve half of it before being eligible for parole.