A Lake County elementary school teacher, Todd R. Fowler, accused of possessing child pornography and being a pedophile, may have also disseminated images of local children from social media to paedophiles, according to police reports on Thursday.
Todd R. Fowler, 47, residing on the 300 block of Buckingham Drive in Grayslake, has been charged with the possession and distribution of child pornography, with further charges potentially forthcoming against the educator at Woodland Elementary School in Gurnee, according to law enforcement officials.
Detectives from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation into Todd R. Fowler following a report from a social network firm concerning a user who potentially disseminated child pornography to another user on their platform, as stated in a news release from the sheriff’s office.
During the inquiry, local officers identified a probable source originating from a residence on the 300 block of Buckingham Drive in Grayslake. Detectives secured a search warrant and conducted a search of the residence on Thursday in conjunction with agents from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
Detectives seized a gadget utilised by Todd R. Fowler for the distribution of child pornography, according to police reports. The police suspect that he sent photographs of students to paedophiles around the United States, as stated in the news release.
Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg characterised Fowler’s actions as “despicable.” He also encouraged parents to engage in discussions with their children regarding the perils of social media.
“This serves as a crucial reminder for parents to oversee their children’s communications and to consistently educate them about the perils of social media and the internet,” he stated.
Currently, a forensic analysis of Fowler’s electronics is in progress, and further charges may be anticipated upon its completion.
Todd R. Fowler is now detained in the Lake County Jail and is anticipated to attend an initial court hearing on Friday morning. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office plans to submit a petition to hold Fowler throughout his pre-trial period, according to police reports.
Anyone with additional information regarding the investigation can call police at 847-377-4000.
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