Attorneys for Drifter Accused of Sex Assault Looking for More Mental Testing

Defense attorneys are seeking a second psychological opinion of a homeless man whose charges now include kidnapping in addition to sexual assault.

Initial court-appointed testing suggests that Dennis Dodson — a drifter accused of sexually molesting an 83-year-old woman — is . His lead attorney, assistant public defender Camille Bachli, told Associate Judge John J. Hynes on Thursday at the Bridgeview Courthouse that she would look for another opinion from a private psychiatrist.

Dodson, 35, was charged with after police said he attacked a woman behind the Orland Park Home Depot, where he had been living. Police said the woman had past encounters with Dodson, in which she offered money and food, before he suddenly grabbed and molested her on the ground.

Dodson, whose rap sheet includes , has a history of mental health issues and takes psychotropic medication, Bachli said in September when she first asked for mental evaluations.

The result of his HIV test — which was requested last month by prosecutors on behalf of the woman — has not been disclosed to the public.

Andy Conklin, spokesman for the State’s Attorney’s Office, declined to comment on the HIV results, as well as the upgraded charges that now include aggravated kidnapping.

Dodson returns to court on Feb. 23.