Police say a longtime employee of Algonquin-based School District 300 solicited students for their social media accounts and investigators found him possessing child pornography.
The Algonquin Police Department announced they arrested Donald J. Peters, 34, of Cary, on Tuesday.
The Cary Police Department, Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the case.
Investigators conducted a child exploitation search warrant at Peters’ residence on Linden Court in Cary.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Electronic Detection Canine Tera assisted and located hidden electronic devices in clothing and stuffed in bags, officials said.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office approved numerous felony charges against Peters, who police say possessed child pornography that he solicited a child or children to produce.
The charges also allege Peters committed the offenses of intimidation and cyberstalking, along with electronic harassment.
The charges filed against Peters include three counts of child pornography, two counts of intimidation, two counts of cyberstalking, two counts of electronic harassment and disorderly conduct.
The police department said Peters, a longtime employee of Community Unit School District 300, may have solicited students for their social media accounts.
“Community Unit School District 300 has continued to cooperate with the Algonquin Police Department and provided significant assistance throughout this investigation,” the department said Thursday.
Police did not provide further information on the charges against Peters or say if the child pornography found was of any students.
District 300 Chief of Communications Anthony McGinn told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that Peters began working for the district on September 4, 2007.
He was employed as a night custodian at Wright Elementary School in Hampshire from his hire date through June 2016 when he became a custodian night supervisor until August 2016.
Peters was promoted to head custodian at Jacobs High School in Algonquin where he worked from August 2016 until September 2018, McGinn said.
He switched roles in September 2018 and became the attendance secretary at Westfield Community School in Algonquin where he has worked until Tuesday when he was placed on administrative leave, McGinn said.
Peters was released from custody after posting 10% of his $250,000 bond.
The Algonquin Police Department said anyone with information relating to the investigation should contact them at 847-658-4531.