A longtime employee of Algonquin-based School District 300 found with child pornography in July is facing new charges for allegedly luring and grooming a child to create child pornography.
Donald J. Peters, 34, of Cary, was first charged in July with three counts of child pornography, two counts of intimidation, two counts of cyberstalking, two counts of electronic harassment and disorderly conduct.
The Algonquin Police Department said they arrested Donald J. Peters, 34, of Cary, on July 18.
The Cary Police Department, Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.
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 charges allege Peters committed the offenses of intimidation and cyberstalking, along with electronic harassment.
The police department said in July that Peters, a longtime employee of Community Unit School District 300, may have solicited students for their social media accounts.
Police did not provide further information on the charges against Peters or say if the child pornography found was of any students.
Peters was released from custody in July after posting 10% of a $250,000 bond.
Court records show police obtained an arrest warrant on Friday after prosecutors approved new charges of child pornography, grooming and two counts of child luring.
A criminal complaint said Peters solicited, used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a juvenile victim under the age of 13 to appear in a photo or video showing the child unclothed.
The complaint said Peters groomed the child to distribute the photographs to him.
The offense occurred on April 19 through April 20, the complaint said.
Police have not confirmed yet whether the victim is or was a student of District 300.
District 300 Chief of Communications Anthony McGinn told Lake and McHenry County Scanner at the time of Peters’ first arrest that the man 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 worked until July when he was placed on administrative leave, McGinn said.
Court records initially listed as Peters being actively wanted but as of Tuesday show he is no longer actively wanted in the latest case.
Further information on his arrest was not immediately available.