A volunteer music instructor at Naperville Central High School was being held Tuesday on child-pornography charges for persuading a 15-year-old student at the school to take nude photographs of herself, authorities said.
Mark Bernal, 31, of the 5000 block of North Winchester Avenue, Chicago, was arrested Monday after parents of the girl reported to Naperville police that there was “suspicious activity” between their daughter and the volunteer, said Naperville police Sgt. Joel Truemper.
Bernal, who had volunteered as a drum instructor since November, contacted the girl by e-mail and pretended to be a teenage girl from another high school, Truemper said. Bernal sent the girl e-mails and pornographic photographs of a teenage girl and asked her to send back photographs of herself, he said. Court documents allege that Bernal persuaded the girl to take pictures of herself, but Truemper would not comment.
After the girl’s parents contacted them Saturday, police quickly suspected Bernal of being behind the e-mails, Truemper said.
On Monday, police seized computers, printers, monitors and other devices, which allegedly included pornographic images, from Bernal’s home. Bernal was arrested and charged with three counts of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of a child, according to the Will County state’s attorney’s office. He appeared in Bond Court on Tuesday and is being held in Will County Jail in lieu of $350,000 bail. More charges could follow, authorities said.
Police believe Bernal did not have any relationship with the girl beyond the e-mail contact, Truemper said. School District 203 officials said none of the alleged activity happened on school grounds or during school-sanctioned events.
Police are investigating whether Bernal may have contacted or tried to contact other children and whether there may be more victims, Truemper said.
“He forwarded child pornography to our victim. Well, who is this girl?” he said. Truemper said those with information about the incident or who believe they may be a victim should contact Naperville police.
The department contacted School District 203 shortly after the incident was reported to ensure that Bernal would not have contact with any more students.
Bernal came highly recommended from a drumline organization, said District 203 spokeswoman Melea Smith. But school officials would not say which organization recommended him.
Currently, the district routinely checks the names of volunteers against the state’s criminal sex-offender list, but conducts background checks on employees only. The district will be reviewing its policies on how it brings in volunteers, Smith said.
