An Illinois elementary teacher has been charged and detained for allegedly sharing child pornography online and distributing photos of students at his school to pedophiles nationwide.
Todd R. Fowler, 47, a student at Woodland Elementary in Gurnee, about 40 miles northwest of Chicago, was charged Friday with possessing and disseminating child pornography in a Lake County court and ordered held in custody.
Detectives with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department arrested Gurnee on Thursday after receiving a tip about his alleged activities from a social media company, the name of which authorities declined to disclose.
The tip led investigators to Fowler’s home where they executed a search warrant and recovered an electronic device they believe Fowler used to share the pornographic images, the sheriff’s department reported. Authorities have not said how many students may have been affected or how long the alleged activity may have been going on.
Fowler has been employed by Woodland since 2019, school officials said, after successfully completing a criminal background check.
Gurnee, with a population of 30,000, is best known as the home of a Six Flags amusement park which draws more than 20 millions visitors each year, many of them children.
“This is a despicable crime—especially when committed by someone entrusted to be a positive influence on our youth,” said Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg in a statement released by his office. “The actions of one individual do not reflect the thousands of hardworking, dedicated teachers and educators in our community.”
The school district has offered to aid in what detectives say remains an ongoing investigation. Authorities believe there may be more victims and are urging students and parents to come forward with any information.
Said Robert Machak, the Woodland D50 School District Superintendent, “Student safety is always the district’s top priority, and Woodland is fully cooperating with the police in their investigation. Additionally, the teacher has been placed on administrative leave while we work through the proper police and administrative channels.”
The suspect Fowler is expected back in court later this month. He is being held without bail.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Idleburg used the arrest to strike a note of caution, saying, “This is a reminder that it is critically important for parents to monitor who their children are communicating with and to regularly remind them about the dangers of social media and the internet.”
Lowell Cauffiel documented one of worst cases of child abuse in American history in his New York Times best seller House of Secrets. He is also the author of nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
