Former Olympic Bobsledder Charged with Sex Abuse For Second Time

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A former Olympic bobsledder from Irving Park is charged with sexually abusing a minor — again, prosecutors said. 

Rodney Woolford, 59, of the 3700 block of North Ridgeland Avenue, was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor after prosecutors said he lured a 13-year-old swimming instructor into his basement, told her to lay on a mat to "stretch," and then rubbed his body against the teen.

The abuse allegedly happened twice, on July 9 and July 23. 

On July 9, Woolford picked up the victim — hired by Woolford to help teach a swimming class for 3 and 4 year olds — at her house and then drove on to his own home to get kickboards and towels, prosecutors said. 

Once in the basement, Woolford had the girl lay on a mat to stretch before swimming but molested her instead, prosecutors said. 

He picked the teen up again two weeks later, prosecutors said. When she refused to go in the basement, Woolford allgedly forced her to. 

The victim sent a text to her mother after the second incident, prosecutors said. The mother called the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Woolford was arrested. 

Woolford competed in bobsledding in the 1994 winter Olympics for Trinidad, the Tribune reported. 

He was previously convicted of sexually abusing two Long Grove sisters, ages 11 and 13, in 1995, according to the newspaper.

On Friday, when Woolford appeared briefly in court on the new charges, a Cook County judge ordered him held without bail. 

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