McHenry County Blog

A press rele4ase from the Crystal Lake Police Department:

Pin-Hole Camera Located within Central High School – Crystal Lake

The Crystal Lake Police Department announces that an arrest has been made in the matter involving a pin-hole camera found in a boy’s locker room at Crystal Lake Central High School.

Crystal Lake Community High School

Luke Patrick Gildea (17) of Crystal Lake, a student at the school, has been charged with two (2) counts of Unauthorized Video Recording;

• count 1 – 720 ILCS 5/26-4(a) a class 4 felony
• count 2 – 720 ILCS 5/26-4 (d) a class 3 Felony (victim under 18 years of age).

Mr. Gildea will be transferred to the McHenry County Jail, where bond will be set by a Judge at 8:00 a.m.

The Department continues to work closely with School District 155 investigating this incident. Additional charges may be forthcoming.

While Mr. Gildea has been charged with these offenses, he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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The email to CLCHS parents is here.

The first press release from the CL Police Department is here.

The second email from District 155 is here.

Here’s the latest news from Crystal Lake Community High School about the camera found in the boys’ locker room:

Crystal Lake Community High School

Dear Parents,

We are contacting you with an update on the situation at Crystal Lake Central.

Due to the quick investigative work by our school resource officer, other members of the Crystal Lake Police, and our deans, the police now have a student in custody who they believe acted alone.

Still, we have searched all locker rooms and washrooms at each District 155 school, and have not found any additional recording devices.

Please understand that because there is an ongoing investigation, we cannot provide more details at this time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Johnnie Thomas
Superintendent

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Here’s the original email to parents.

Here’s the press release from the CL Police Department.

A press release from the Crystal Lake Police Department:

Pin-Hole Camera Located within Central High School – Crystal Lake

On Thursday, March 7, 2013, the Crystal Lake Police Department was contacted by District 155 officials after a student found a pin-hole camera secreted within the boy’s athletic locker room at Central High School.

Upon further inspection, the camera is a stand-alone device, which does not possess the capability of main streaming video to a wireless system.

Crystal Lake Community High School

This device was turned over to the Crystal Lake Police Department.

This matter is currently under investigation.

We will be using a forensic examiner to review any digital images.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is urged to contact the Crystal Lake Police Department at 815 356-3620.

Information can also be left anonymously via cellular phone by texting CLPDTIP along with the information to 847411 (tip411), through the web at http://www.citizenobserver.com/cov6/app/group.html?id=4930, or by calling Crime Stoppers at (800)762-7867.

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Here is the email sent parents.

And here’s what parents were told this afternoon:

Crystal Lake Central High School.

Dear Central Parents,

We are writing to inform you of an unfortunate incident that occurred at Crystal Lake Central High School today. A student discovered what appears to be a video recording device in a boys’ athletic locker room.

We take incidents like this very seriously, and a full investigation was launched immediately by our school resource officer and other members of the Crystal Lake Police Department. We also immediately inspected every locker room and bathroom at Crystal Lake Central and the district’s other high schools. No other devices were found. The recording device has been turned over to law enforcement authorities.

We are fully cooperating with the police investigation, and are very disappointed that someone would commit such an act. Pending the results of the police investigation, we will pursue criminal and disciplinary action to the full extent possible under the law and school policy.

What we can discuss about this situation is very limited because it involves an ongoing police investigation, but if you have any questions or concerns, please contact Steve Olson. In addition, please be aware that we have our full array of social workers, counselors, and school psychologists available to support your child should he or she have any issues processing this situation. If you or your child has any information regarding this incident, they should contact the Crystal Lake Police Department directly.

The safety and welfare of all of our students is a top priority and we continue to work with the Crystal Lake Police to ensure that this issue is resolved in a thorough and expedient manner. Thank you for your support of our school district and our students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Johnnie Thomas, Superintendent and Steve Olson, Principal

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Here is the Crystal Lake Police Department’s press release.

I have written how reformer State Rep. Jeanne Hurley got snookered into sponsoring a bill in 1957 to prohibit reporters like Jack Mabley from using tape recordings of legislative corruption.

Hurley married Paul Simon and is Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon’s mother.

The retired State Representative who told me the story was Roland Libonatii.  After taking a busman’s holiday to the Illinois House Chambers, we were in the Amtrak Station waiting for the train back to Chicago.

Marvelous story of how those close to the Currency Exchange scandal took steps to try to prevent others from getting similar evidence of corruption.

So, now people have cell phones and record everything imaginable, even police making arrests.

And the policemen don’t like being held accountable.

You can see that from this recent YouTube taken by professionals across the street from a Chicago Hospital where a little girl had been taken after having been shot by a gang banger.  (Thanks to Illinois Review for pointing me to it.)

So, why is House Republican Leader Tom Cross leading the way to coverup wrongdoing?

You tell me. I didn’t hear the debate.

Here’s the 45-59-1 roll call vote on House Bill 1944:

Besides House Republican Leader Tom Cross, State Reps. representing parts of McHenry County who voted against the reform bill include Kent Gaffney and Tim Schmidt. Democrat Jack Franks was missing from the House floor today. State Rep. Mike Tryon voted in favor of the measure.

Here’s how the synopsis describes the bill:

“Provides that a person who is not a law enforcement officer nor acting at the direction of a law enforcement officer may record the conversation of a law enforcement officer who is performing a public duty in a public place and any other person who is having a conversation with that law enforcement officer if the conversation is at a volume audible to the unassisted ear of the person who is making the recording.”