Lake County Sheriff reports charges against Gurnee Woodland Elementary School teacher Todd Fowler for distributing child pornography

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) — A north suburban elementary school teacher has been arrested and charged with disseminating child pornography.

Todd Fowler, a current teacher at Woodland Elementary School in Gurnee, is facing multiple charges, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.

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A social media company alerted the sheriff’s office about suspicious activity involving child pornography being shared at a specific location on Buckingham Drive in Grayslake.

Fowler, 47, was arrested at the location in Grayslake, which is his residence, the sheriff said.

Following an investigation, Fowler has been arrested and charged with Disseminating Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. Further examination of his electronic devices could lead to additional charges.

Authorities state that besides the known charges, Fowler is suspected of taking photos from social media accounts of local students and parents and distributing them to individuals with malicious intent nationwide. The sheriff’s office issued a statement regarding these revelations.

The suspect is expected to appear in court Friday.

“This is a despicable crime-especially when committed by someone entrusted to be a positive influence on our youth,” Sheriff John D. Idleburg said in a statement. “The actions of one individual do not reflect the thousands of hardworking, dedicated teachers and educators in our community. With that, 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.”