http://www.buglenewspapers.com/niles/article_1651db68-b6d1-11e3-9236-001a4bcf6878.html
(link not active, page not found on original server: archive of article shown here below)
Morton Grove martial arts master charged with sexual abuse of a minor
Prosecutors: Tottas told victim he could trust him and that what they were doing was a secret.
Triantafilos “Master Terry” Tottas, 61, of Morton Grove
COURTESY COOK COUNTY SHEIRFF
Triantafilos “Master Terry” Tottas, 61, of Morton Grove
Triantafilos “Master Terry” Tottas was arrested after a Juvenile reported to the police having been inappropriately touched by Tottas on more than one occasion.
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
PHOTO BY ALEX V. HERNANDEZ/STAFF REPORTER
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do had for rent signs in its windows and looked mostly abandoned on March 25.
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
PHOTO BY ALEX V. HERNANDEZ/STAFF REPORTER
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do had for rent signs in its windows and looked mostly abandoned on March 25.
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
COURTESY SKOKIE TAE-KWON-DO’S FACEBOOK PAGE
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
A photo showing Triantafilos “Master Terry” Tottas instructing students that was taken at the dojo in 2012.
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
COURTESY SKOKIE TAE-KWON-DO’S FACEBOOK PAGE
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
A portrait of Triantafilos “Master Terry” Tottas with his students. Date Unknown.
E-Edition In-Story Button 300 x 250
Location
4640 Oakton Street Skokie IL
Posted: Friday, March 28, 2014 6:31 pm | Updated: 5:24 am, Sat Mar 29, 2014.
Alex V. Hernandez | Staff Reporter | @The AVHernandez | 0 comments
A self-described Tae Kwon Do “master” is accused of sexually abusing one of his martial arts students.
Triantafilos “Master Terry” Tottas was charged with criminal sexual abuse on Feb. 12. The charges were brought about after a male juvenile student told Skokie police that Tottas had been inappropriately touching him over the last four years.
The 61-year old Tottas had been running Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do out of 4640 Oakton St. since at least 2010. According to the website for the dojo, a training facility, Tottas has over 29 years of experience as a martial arts instructor, and his dojo offered classes to kids and adults six days a week.
Cook County prosecutors allege Tottas used his position as “Master Terry” to repeatedly sexually abuse a student of his, starting in the summer of 2010 and continuing through February of this year.
The first instance of abuse reportedly began when the victim was 8 years old.
In that instance, Tottas was driving his truck from Skokie to Chicago with the victim as his passenger, said prosecutors.
During the trip, Tottas reportedly began to rub the victim’s knees and hands and told him he was beautiful. Soon after, prosecutors allege Tottas parked his truck and began “to kiss the boy on his mouth and touch him under his clothes.”
In another incident, when the victim and Tottas were alone together in the dojo, Tottas allegedly grabbed and touched the victim over his clothes and again began kissing the boy in the mouth.
Prosecutors allege that while Tottas did this, he told the boy he could trust him, and that what they were doing was their secret.
A few days later, when the victim was again alone with Tottas, the teacher reportedly put his hands underneath his student’s shorts to touch him.
Tottas is no longer renting the 3,000-square-foot space at 4640 Oakton, said a building manager who would only give his name as Mr. Sava. Sava said he wasn’t aware of the criminal charges against Tottas and said his tenant abruptly closed shop about a month ago.
“I thought he was moving back to Greece,” said Sava.
At press time, Tottas had not responded to The Bugle’s requests for comment.
Currently the Skokie dojo looks abandoned, with “for rent” signs in the windows. When peering into the dojo, a few martial arts trophies can be seen, covered in dust and apparently left behind by their owner.
Tottas, of the 5600 block of Crain, Morton Grove, turned himself in at the Skokie police department on Feb. 12 and then appeared in bond court the next day.
The judge at that hearing said that if Tottas posted $10,000 bond he would be required to be on “electronic release” and have no contact with the victim.
A spokesperson from the Cook County Sheriff’s office said that Tottas was not physically in jail but still “technically in custody” via an ankle monitor as of March 24.
His next court date is April 23 at the Skokie District Courthouse.
[email protected]
(link not active, page not found on original server: archive of article shown here below)
Morton Grove martial arts master charged with sexual abuse of a minor
Prosecutors: Tottas told victim he could trust him and that what they were doing was a secret.
Triantafilos “Master Terry” Tottas, 61, of Morton Grove
COURTESY COOK COUNTY SHEIRFF
Triantafilos “Master Terry” Tottas, 61, of Morton Grove
Triantafilos “Master Terry” Tottas was arrested after a Juvenile reported to the police having been inappropriately touched by Tottas on more than one occasion.
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
PHOTO BY ALEX V. HERNANDEZ/STAFF REPORTER
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do had for rent signs in its windows and looked mostly abandoned on March 25.
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
PHOTO BY ALEX V. HERNANDEZ/STAFF REPORTER
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do had for rent signs in its windows and looked mostly abandoned on March 25.
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
COURTESY SKOKIE TAE-KWON-DO’S FACEBOOK PAGE
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
A photo showing Triantafilos “Master Terry” Tottas instructing students that was taken at the dojo in 2012.
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
COURTESY SKOKIE TAE-KWON-DO’S FACEBOOK PAGE
Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do at 4640 Oakton Street, Skokie
A portrait of Triantafilos “Master Terry” Tottas with his students. Date Unknown.
E-Edition In-Story Button 300 x 250
Location
4640 Oakton Street Skokie IL
Posted: Friday, March 28, 2014 6:31 pm | Updated: 5:24 am, Sat Mar 29, 2014.
Alex V. Hernandez | Staff Reporter | @The AVHernandez | 0 comments
A self-described Tae Kwon Do “master” is accused of sexually abusing one of his martial arts students.
Triantafilos “Master Terry” Tottas was charged with criminal sexual abuse on Feb. 12. The charges were brought about after a male juvenile student told Skokie police that Tottas had been inappropriately touching him over the last four years.
The 61-year old Tottas had been running Skokie Tae-Kwon-Do out of 4640 Oakton St. since at least 2010. According to the website for the dojo, a training facility, Tottas has over 29 years of experience as a martial arts instructor, and his dojo offered classes to kids and adults six days a week.
Cook County prosecutors allege Tottas used his position as “Master Terry” to repeatedly sexually abuse a student of his, starting in the summer of 2010 and continuing through February of this year.
The first instance of abuse reportedly began when the victim was 8 years old.
In that instance, Tottas was driving his truck from Skokie to Chicago with the victim as his passenger, said prosecutors.
During the trip, Tottas reportedly began to rub the victim’s knees and hands and told him he was beautiful. Soon after, prosecutors allege Tottas parked his truck and began “to kiss the boy on his mouth and touch him under his clothes.”
In another incident, when the victim and Tottas were alone together in the dojo, Tottas allegedly grabbed and touched the victim over his clothes and again began kissing the boy in the mouth.
Prosecutors allege that while Tottas did this, he told the boy he could trust him, and that what they were doing was their secret.
A few days later, when the victim was again alone with Tottas, the teacher reportedly put his hands underneath his student’s shorts to touch him.
Tottas is no longer renting the 3,000-square-foot space at 4640 Oakton, said a building manager who would only give his name as Mr. Sava. Sava said he wasn’t aware of the criminal charges against Tottas and said his tenant abruptly closed shop about a month ago.
“I thought he was moving back to Greece,” said Sava.
At press time, Tottas had not responded to The Bugle’s requests for comment.
Currently the Skokie dojo looks abandoned, with “for rent” signs in the windows. When peering into the dojo, a few martial arts trophies can be seen, covered in dust and apparently left behind by their owner.
Tottas, of the 5600 block of Crain, Morton Grove, turned himself in at the Skokie police department on Feb. 12 and then appeared in bond court the next day.
The judge at that hearing said that if Tottas posted $10,000 bond he would be required to be on “electronic release” and have no contact with the victim.
A spokesperson from the Cook County Sheriff’s office said that Tottas was not physically in jail but still “technically in custody” via an ankle monitor as of March 24.
His next court date is April 23 at the Skokie District Courthouse.
[email protected]
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/illinois-martial-arts-instructor-charged-with-molesting-student-8/
By Crimesider Staff CBS News April 9, 2014, 4:02 PM
Martial arts instructor charged with molesting student, 8
Triantafilos "Terry" Tottas, 61, is charged with molesting an 8-year-old student at a taekwondo studio in Skokie, Ill. CBS Chicago
CHICAGO - A taekwondo instructor has been charged with molesting an 8-year-old student, reports CBS Chicago.
Prosecutors said that, on three occasions, 61-year-old Triantafilos "Terry" Tottas kissed, fondled, and groped a boy who took lessons at his taekwondo studio in Skokie, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. Tottas allegedly told the 8-year-old victim to keep what he was doing "a secret," according to the station.
CBS Chicago reports that, until February, Tottas also taught taekwondo classes at Chicago's South Loop Elementary School. The school is warning parents about the incident, but says that the alleged molestation did not involve a student of theirs, and did not take place on school grounds.
"We are very concerned about the allegations," said a statement released by the principal of South Loop Elementary. "I'm working with CPS [Child Protective Services] to decide our next steps."
Zori Bliznnkoe, the suspect's neighbor, told CBS Chicago that both of her children were students at Tottas' martial arts studio. She said she doesn't believe the allegations.
"My daughter is 12 and my son is 8 and they were in there since they were 4 years old, both of them," Bliznnkoe said. "I even take my kids and go and stay at his house when they want to play around. It's never been a problem."
Tottas is currently under electronic monitoring at his home in Morton Grove. Efforts by CBS Chicago to speak with the suspect were unsuccessful, the station reports.
© 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
By Crimesider Staff CBS News April 9, 2014, 4:02 PM
Martial arts instructor charged with molesting student, 8
Triantafilos "Terry" Tottas, 61, is charged with molesting an 8-year-old student at a taekwondo studio in Skokie, Ill. CBS Chicago
CHICAGO - A taekwondo instructor has been charged with molesting an 8-year-old student, reports CBS Chicago.
Prosecutors said that, on three occasions, 61-year-old Triantafilos "Terry" Tottas kissed, fondled, and groped a boy who took lessons at his taekwondo studio in Skokie, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. Tottas allegedly told the 8-year-old victim to keep what he was doing "a secret," according to the station.
CBS Chicago reports that, until February, Tottas also taught taekwondo classes at Chicago's South Loop Elementary School. The school is warning parents about the incident, but says that the alleged molestation did not involve a student of theirs, and did not take place on school grounds.
"We are very concerned about the allegations," said a statement released by the principal of South Loop Elementary. "I'm working with CPS [Child Protective Services] to decide our next steps."
Zori Bliznnkoe, the suspect's neighbor, told CBS Chicago that both of her children were students at Tottas' martial arts studio. She said she doesn't believe the allegations.
"My daughter is 12 and my son is 8 and they were in there since they were 4 years old, both of them," Bliznnkoe said. "I even take my kids and go and stay at his house when they want to play around. It's never been a problem."
Tottas is currently under electronic monitoring at his home in Morton Grove. Efforts by CBS Chicago to speak with the suspect were unsuccessful, the station reports.
© 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.