Tae Kwon Do Instructor Charged With Molesting 8-Year-Old Student

(CBS) -- A local elementary school is warning parents after learning a former tae kwon do instructor there was charged with molesting one of his students.

CBS 2's Mike Parker went to the home of that instructor in Morton Grove and knocked on the door, but was met with a slammed door.

He is 61-year-old Triantafilos "Terry" Tottas, a martial arts instructor who runs a tae kwon do studio in Skokie. The victim of the alleged attacks was an 8-year-old boy who took lessons here.

Prosecutors say that on three occasions, Tottas kissed, fondled and groped the boy beneath his clothing. He allegedly told the victim what he was doing was "a secret."

Tottas' neighbor says both her children were students at the man's Skokie studio.

"My daughter is 12 and my son is 8 and they were in there since they were 4-years-old both of them," said Zori Bliznnkoe. "I even take my kids and go and stay at his house when they want to play around. It's never been a problem."

Until February, Tottas also taught tae kwon do classes at Chicago's prestigious South Loop Elementary School. The school is telling parents the incidents did not take place there, and the victim was not a student.

The principal of South Loop Elementary released a statement saying, "We are very concerned about the allegations. I'm working with CPS to decide our next steps. A message was also sent via the room parents yesterday, if any parent have any concern about their child enrolled in Master Terry class to please reach out to me."