WHITE CITY -- A Medford man is in jail on charges related to the sexual abuse of a kindergarten student in White City. On Friday, December 8, 2017, Jackson County Sheriff's Office detectives arrested Jerry Duane Lodge, 72, of the 700-block of Crater Lake Avenue. The investigation showed Lodge sexually touched the 5-year-old girl while volunteering at Lower Table Rock Elementary School.
Lodge was in the classroom through the Foster Grandparent Program facilitated by Community Volunteer Network, a division of Pacific Retirement Services (PRS). The program places senior volunteers in classrooms throughout the Rogue Valley. Participants must pass a criminal background check.
Detectives say once the abuse allegations surfaced on December 6, officials with Jackson County School District #9 and PRS prevented Lodge from having any further contact with children and cooperated fully with the criminal investigation. Today, school officials are sending a notice to all parents in the child's classroom. It includes guidelines to help parents speak with their children, as well as information about how to make a report in the event their child discloses abuse. The school district will also offer an opportunity for those parents to meet with school officials and detectives later this week.
During the investigation, detectives learned that Lodge volunteered in classrooms at McLoughlin Middle School and Kids Unlimited in Medford during the 2017 calendar year. No allegations of abuse by Lodge have been reported at those locations.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Detective Jason Penn at (541) 770-8925.
Case #17-25514
Note: For information about talking to children about body safety, detectives recommend the following reference: https://www.d2l.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Talking-to-Kids-About-Body-Safety-10.19.15.pdf