Police in Joliet on Friday were searching for a teacher who has been charged with misconduct involving a child. NBC C 5’s Vi Nguyen reports.
Joliet police on Friday were searching for a teacher who was accused of misconduct with a child after investigators say he showed up at a McDonald's to meet an individual he thought was a 15-year-old boy.
Jeremy Hylka, 44, was charged with traveling to meet a child and grooming.
According to police, Hylka had been communicating online with a man posing as teenage boy, and the two agreed to meet in person for sex Tuesday night.
The founder of the group "Save Our Siblings," who would only identify himself with his first name, Shane, said he was behind the encounter. He managed to set up a meeting with the teacher in less than 24 hours.
"People say it's stupid, what I’m doing," Shane said. "They think its very dangerous, but no battle has been won from running from gunfire."
Hylka taught science and religion at Saint Joseph Catholic School in Lockport up until Thursday when the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet fired him upon learning of the charges. Last year, Hylka resigned from a job at Joliet Catholic Academy after the school said it was aware of online allegations against him.
Details on those allegations weren't available Friday night.
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Police, meanwhile, fear there could be other victims.
"There could possibly be," said Detective Sean Filipiak with the Joliet Police Department. "That’s why as the Joliet Police Department, we take these allegations very seriously. I encourage people to come forward. We want to hear your story."
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Anyone with information on Hylka's whereabouts or other potential victims is urged to call police at 815-724-3100.
