Parents: Keep Your Kids Away From Skeevy Gym Instructors

By Joanna Miller in News on Aug 24, 2006 9:00PM

Chicagoist has always been a little intimidated by the Lakeshore Athletic Club and the fit, pretty people we’ve seen walking in and out of its doors. Turns out we may have had good reason to be creeped out.

Thomas Rahim, a 21-year-old fitness instructor at the club’s Lincoln Park branch is being held on $40,000 bond after being charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Rahim allegedly sexually abused a 14-year-old girl at the club’s rooftop bar on Sunday.

According to the LAC Web site, the Lincoln Park branch offers the "most complete selections of children’s programming in Chicago." We're pretty sure this isn't what parents have in mind when they sign their kids up for swim lessons.

The girl was playing basketball at the club with a friend when Rahim approached them. He bought some alcohol at a nearby liquor store and took the girls up to the “Red Room” on the rooftop with another club employee.

The girl’s friend and other witnesses saw him engaged in oral sex and then having sex with the teenage girl. The girl told her parents about the attack that evening and was taken to Children’s Memorial Hospital. Rahim was arrested that evening.

Rahim was a pre-med student and was scheduled to begin classes in about two weeks. We really hope that doesn’t work out for him. And pediatrics is definitely out.

Esposas via Esparta