A Barrington man, a former teacher in Des Plaines, is facing charges of grooming and sexual exploitation of a child after a former student’s parents discovered alarming text messages, authorities said.
McHenry County Sheriff’s Department arrested Jack K. Pickup, 34, of the 100 block of East Liberty Street. His bond was set at $10,000.
The victim, who lives in unincorporated McHenry, had attended Chippewa Middle School in Des Plaines where Pickup was a teacher. Sheriff’s deputies said Pickup began communicating with the now 15-year-old girl since 2011 and began sending her texts since she graduated from 8th grade.
In June, Pickup began sending sexually explicit text messages, including a photo of his genitals, deputies said.
Investigators arrested Pickup at his parent’s home in Barrington.
McHenry County deputies doe not believe there are other victims, however, an investigation continues, said Lt. James Popvits said.
“The parents of this victim should be commended for monitoring their child’s online and texting conversations. We encourage parents to maintain vigilance and continue to remind their children of the possible dangers of social media,” Undersheriff Andrew Zinke said.
The sheriff’s office has investigators training on Internet crimes against children and the office provides parents tips on keeping their children safe on its website.
