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Former Youngstown cop indicted in juvenile sex case
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A former Youngstown police officer was indicted by a Mahoning County grand jury Thursday on charges that he solicited a female juvenile for sex and that he viewed nude photos of her just hours before he was arrested.
Robert Lodwick, 40, was indicted on two counts of importuning, one count of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, one count of attempted pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, and eight counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance.
Lodwick, who was a detective sergeant, has been in the county jail since he was arrested on the charges after he was pulled off the road early June 7 after an investigation by the department’s Internal Affairs Division and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which was spurred by a May 30 complaint to the county sheriff’s office by a worker for the children services board.
Lodwick had been assigned to the department’s Family Services Unit before being reassigned in March as a patrol supervisor. Police have said he is accused of acting improperly with a juvenile whose case he was assigned to investigate while he worked for the FSU.
On the importuning charges, the first count alleges he solicited a juvenile for sex between April 9 and May 23. The second count alleges that he solicited the female for sex again June 6, just hours before he started work on the midnight shift.
Also on June 6, Lodwick is accused of asking for and attempting to receive a picture showing a minor engaging in sexual activity, according to the indictment.
Four of the counts alleging illegal use of a minor state that between Feb. 15 and June 6, Lodwick took pictures of a nude juvenile. The remaining four counts allege that he had or looked at photos of nude juveniles June 6.
Lodwick, who worked for the department for 14 years, was fired June 14.
The board of control approved paying a $22,906.21 severance package Thursday to Lodwick. His severance package was for unpaid accrued time, sick time and vacation pay.
The city had no choice but to pay the money to Lodwick as it was owed to him, said Law Director Anthony Farris.
Contributor: David Skolnick