A Libertyville middle school teacher has been arrested on child pornography charges with authorities alleging he created “illicit” images by using an AI program to digitally place the heads of students on the bodies of other people, according to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Marshall Sheffer, 44, of Libertyville, was arrested on eight felony counts. He was being held at the Lake County jail, where prosecutors said they would seek to have him detained until the conclusion of his case.
According to the Libertyville School District 70 website, Sheffer is a teacher at Highland Middle School.
According to authorities, an investigation was begun after students reported that their teacher was videotaping them. During the investigation, police obtained Sheffer’s phone and uncovered evidence that numerous images of students had been altered using AI to make illicit images, prosecutors said.
Police searched Sheffer’s residence and recovered multiple electronic devices, the State’s Attorney’s Office said.
School District 70 Superintendent Rebecca Jenkins sent a letter to parents on Friday saying that the district became aware of the allegations of videotaping on June 3, the second-to-last day of classes, and immediately removed Sheffer from the classroom.
The district launched an internal investigation and called police and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, she said.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to the students who came forward. By speaking up, they took an important step that helps us to protect our school community,” Jenkins wrote.
Sheffer, an 18-year employee, has been placed on leave, and board action is expected soon, Jenkins said. The district is also expected to review policies about video recording, she said.
“This was a highly sensitive, complex and lengthy investigation. Its success relied on the work of our investigators and the close collaboration with our partners at the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cyber Crimes Division, the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center, and Libertyville School District 70,” Libertyville Police Chief Ed Roncone said in a news release.
“Protecting children from exploitation and abuse is our top priority,” State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said. “The Libertyville Police Department, our Cyber Crimes Division, ESD K9 Grip, ESD K9 Enzo, and the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center have done great work investigating this case.
“We are committed to holding these offenders accountable and using every available tool, including digital forensics and K9 resources, to keep our community safe,” he said.
Sheffer surrendered to police Friday and is due in court Sunday.
