Suburban elementary teacher accused of using student social media to spread child porn

A suburban elementary school teacher was ordered to remain detained after being accused of using student social media images to spread child pornography across the U.S., officials said.

A judge ruled Friday that 47-year-old Todd Fowler, of Grayslake, should remain in custody without bail.

Fowler is accused of possessing images of least two 9-year-old children, which were allegedly manipulated to be sexually explicit. He is also accused of sharing sexually explicit video of a child in order to gain access to a group on Snapchat and prove he wasn't in law enforcement. Police believe there could be more victims out there, however.

Fowler is a teacher and coach at Woodland Elementary School in Gurnee and was a JV girl's basketball coach at Grayslake Central, though he was fired from that role Thursday.

According to the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Fowler was arrested on charges of dissemination and possessing child pornography, with additional charges possible.

"We have been in close communication with a number of families today...certainly parents are concerned," Lake County public information officer Chris Covelli said.

The investigation into Fowler, a teacher at Woodland Elementary in Gurnee, began after the sheriff's office received a tip from a social media company, later identified as Snapchat, that a user may have been sharing and spreading child pornography.

Police secured a search warrant, which was executed at Fowler's home, and he was arrested Thursday. Investigators are reviewing Fowler's devices, though they say their initial search yielded photos of Fowler's past students.

"So one of the unnerving things that detectives uncovered is that he has been taking social media pictures that parents have posted of their children, kids have posted online and he's sharing those images with men across the nation and conversing with them about those images," Covelli said.

A letter sent to families from Woodland District 50 Superintendent Dr. Robert Machak said Fowler has been placed on administrative leave as the investigation continues.

"Student safety is always the district’s top priority, and Woodland is fully cooperating with the police in their investigation," the message read.

The superintendent at Grayslake Central said, upon learning of the allegations, Fowler was fired from his coaching position.

In the letter, Machak also said Fowler had been employed by the school since 2019 following successful completion of a criminal background check.

Machak and the Lake County Sheriff's Office also warned that there may be additional victims, with Machak asking parents to contact the school's social worker, or the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center.

"The sheriff’s office asks that you speak to your children to see if they have communicated with Fowler or believe they may be a victim of Fowler," the sheriff's office said. "If so, please contact sheriff’s detectives at 847-377-4000."

In a statement, Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg called the crime "despicable — especially when committed by someone entrusted to be a positive influence on our youth."

"The actions of one individual do not reflect the thousands of hardworking, dedicated teachers and educators in our community," the statement continued. "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.”

Fowler is next expected to appear in court May 23.