Shane Lother, a choir and music teacher at South Central High School, was arrested Friday afternoon at his home in Salem on charges of grooming and traveling to meet a minor. Lother, 38, is accused of engaging in inappropriate conduct with a 15-year-old student.
South Central School Superintendent Kerry Herdes notified parents that the district became aware of allegations involving possible inappropriate relations between a high school teacher and a student on February 26th. Upon learning of the allegations, Lother was immediately placed on administrative leave, and both local law enforcement and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services were contacted.
The investigation gained traction after a detective with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, assigned to work with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force on sex crimes involving children, examined the cell phones of Lother and the alleged victim, a 15-year-old South Central High School student, leading to search warrants uncovering key evidence in the case. At this point, the investigation has centered on just the one victim.
Lother will make his first appearance in Marion County Circuit Court today (Monday). The case remains under investigation by authorities.