The deputy fire chief in Wonder Lake is on leave after a female firefighter on the department claimed he stalked her, threatened to publish her nude photos and threatened to get her fired.
Wonder Lake Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Chris Weber was placed on administrative leave last month, sources told Lake and McHenry County Scanner.
Wonder Lake Fire District Board President Todd Rishling confirmed last week that there is an ongoing internal investigation being conducted.
Rishling said the investigation began on June 27 and the board had no further comment on the matter.
Court records show a Wonder Lake firefighter, who is in her 20s, petitioned the court for an emergency order of protection against Weber earlier this month.
The woman said she had been in a relationship with Weber and listed multiple incidents of harassment, physical abuse and stalking in her petition involving the deputy fire chief.
The first incident allegedly occurred in September when the woman said she had fallen asleep at Weber’s residence in McHenry.
The woman said Weber went on her cell phone and texted photos and videos of herself, some of which showed her nude when she was under the age of 18, to his own cell phone, according to the petition.
The petition said Weber deleted the text messages so the woman would not see them but later admitted to it and apologized.
The woman said Weber told her on June 25 — two days prior to him being placed on leave — that he would “expose her” by posting photos of her online.
She claimed that the deputy fire chief threatened to have her fired from the Wonder Lake Fire Protection District as well as the Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District, where she also works.
The petition said Weber also threatened to get the woman kicked out of her paramedic program and prevent her from being hired by the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District.
The woman said Weber had stalked her while she was at her home in Wonder Lake on June 25 and that it was witnessed by another fire department member, who called her to notify her about it.
McHenry County Judge Mark Facchini granted the woman’s petition for an emergency order of protection on July 12, the same day she filed the request.
Lake and McHenry County Scanner has reached out to Weber for comment. He has not yet commented on the allegations.
A hearing on whether the temporary order of protection will be extended is scheduled for Friday.
Attorneys have requested the hearing be delayed as they await documents to be returned from various subpoenas that have been issued.