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A Highland Middle School social studies teacher is charged with allegedly using artificial intelligence (AI) software to create explicit images of students using videos he took of children in his class, authorities said.
Marshall Sheffer, 44, was taken into custody Friday on eight counts of Child Pornography following a lengthy investigation that started in June, officials said.
According to a news release issued by the Libertyville Police and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, students reported to school staff that they believed their teacher was video recording students.
During the investigation, Libertyville detectives were able to obtain the defendant’s phone and turned it over to the state’s attorney’s office.
A forensic examination by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Cyber Lab revealed numerous images of students that had been altered using AI to create explicit images, officials said.
As the investigation continued, detectives recovered multiple electronic devices and executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence.
With the assistance of the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office’s Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Grip, and the Sheriff’s Office ESD K9 Enzo, additional explicit child images were seized by law enforcement, officials said.
Following the investigation, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the multiple charges of Child Pornography.
“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.
Libertyville District Superintendent Rebecca Jenkins said in a letter to District 70 parents obtained Friday by the Lake & McHenry County Scanner that Sheffer was a social studies teacher with the district for 18 years.
She added that the investigation followed the district’s immediate outreach to the police on the second-to-last day of school on June 3.
The district fully cooperated with police, Jenkins added, including “limiting our public communication on this matter to protect the integrity of their investigation.”
Sheffer turned himself over to police on Friday, authorities said. He is due to appear in court on Sunday morning.
“Protecting children from exploitation and abuse is our top priority. 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,” said Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart. “We are committed to holding these offenders accountable and using every available tool, including digital forensics and K9 resources, to keep our community safe.”
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office said they intend to file a petition to detain Sheffer in Lake County Jail while the case is pending.
Officials said two of the child pornography charges against Sheffer are class X felonies, while six counts are Class 1 felonies.
Authorities said they will continue working closely with the families and students impacted by these crimes to keep them informed about charges and connect them with support services.
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