MARIE KEMPH, mkemph@murfreesboropost.com
Posted: Thursday, January 19, 2012 12:00 am

John “J.D.” Lotts Jr.

A Murfreesboro man who is a registered sex offender has been charged with aggravated child abuse in connection with the brutal assault of his girlfriend’s 5-year-old son.

Forty-year-old John “J.D.” Lotts Jr., who is a self-described member of the Church of Satan, was arrested Jan. 10 when police helped a caseworker from the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services who was investigating abuse allegations locate the child and his 23-year-old mother, Elizabeth A. Hoagland, at an apartment on Willowbrook Drive.

“We see serious child abuse cases on a regular basis, some more severe,” said Kyle Evans, public information officer for the Murfreesboro Police Department. “The injuries sustained by (this) child are more serious in nature than most, but the tactics and mental abuse are typical of most child abuse cases.”

When officials found the boy at the residence, he had “multiple injuries on his face” and was wearing mittens, which once removed “revealed injuries to the back of (his) hands,” according to the arrest report filed by Detective Tommy Roberts.

“I asked him what happened, and he replied, ‘I am not allowed to say,’” Roberts reported. “I did an onsite interview with all the adults in the (residence) about the injuries to the boy. The adults were evasive, inconsistent and appeared to be covering up the reason for the injuries.”

Roberts reported Hoagland and the boy were immediately taken to Middle Tennessee Medical Center, so that he could receive medical treatment.

While emergency room physicians were treating the boy, Roberts interviewed Hoagland, who said Lott had assaulted her son.

She said a few days before officials found the boy, she “found her son laying on the floor in his room with blood coming out of his mouth,” Roberts reported.

“She stated that he appeared incoherent but when he (regained consciousness) he stated (Lott) had kicked him,” he reported, adding Hoagland said she asked Lott about the incident, and he told her that he had blacked out and did not remember what had occurred.

However, doctors told officials the boy had multiple injuries all over his body, which appeared to be from “multiple instances of child abuse,” causing internal injuries, including a lacerated liver and kidney contusions, according to the arrest report.

“The injuries were so serious that the boy was transported to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital,” Roberts reported, adding the boy maintained throughout the interview process with doctors and law enforcement officials that Lott had been abusing him.

During an interview at the Police Department, Lott “pulled out a card stating that he was a member of the Church of Satan. He seemed to be proud of this and was asked if the abuse on the boy was related to his religion,” he reported.

On Jan. 11, Hoagland admitted to police “she was wrong for not protecting (her son) or seeking medical treatment for him,” Roberts reported.

Hoagland has since been charged with failing to protect her son.

“If someone suspects child abuse, they are required by law to report such abuse to the Department of Children Services,” Evans said, adding police should be notified as well. “We investigate (allegations) thoroughly and prosecute strong cases.”

He said the Criminal Investigation Division is responsible for monitoring the whereabouts of registered sex offenders, who are not allowed to live with unrelated children.

“We are currently looking into possible charges for violation of the registry,” he said.

Although Lott initially remained aloof about a possible connection between his religion and the child abuse allegations, he told a reporter from News Channel 5 during a jailhouse interview his beliefs did not factor into his behavior.

“What I did has nothing to do with Satanism,” Lott said, adding the incident occurred because he lost his temper.

Evans said any child abuse allegation is serious, but this case has been especially troubling for various reasons. However, he said Lott’s beliefs are only one factor in a multifaceted case.

“This was certainly a disturbing case, but I think the fact that he is a self-proclaimed member of the (Church of Satan), makes this seem worse than it is,” Evans said. “There was a child that sustained serious injuries – regardless of the motive. Aside from the sex offender and Satan aspects of the case, child abuse cases such as this are fairly typical.”