Former Wilmington high school teacher, coach charged with sexual abuse

WILMINGTON – Police announced Thursday the arrest of a former Wilmington High School social studies teacher and girls basketball coach, alleging he engaged in inappropriate activities with an underage student.

Jonathan D. Lewis Jr., 27, of Naperville was charged with four counts of criminal sexual abuse, four counts of child pornography and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Bail was set at $1 million, police said. Lewis is scheduled to appear at a bond hearing Friday in Will County.

In a news release, Wilmington police said they received information from an anonymous source concerning the matter.

“The victim’s parents and the school district were notified immediately of the investigation,” police said.

Wilmington School District 209-U officials said they ordered June 30 – shortly after police notified the district – that Lewis have no contact with students.

Superintendent Jay Plese said near the end of June he was approached by an officer outside school, who informed him an investigation may be starting into a teacher.

“I had no information at the time,” Plese said, adding the next day he told a teacher to contact school attorney Scott Nemanich if police started an investigation because he was leaving for vacation.

Plese said the district’s no-contact order led to the girls basketball team canceling participation in an annual summer camp at Kankakee Community College.

On Aug. 6, as the district prepared paperwork for a possible suspension of Lewis, the district received a one-paragraph resignation letter from him.

“I am resigning from my position as a high school social science teacher and girls’ varsity basketball coach,” Lewis stated in the letter, provided by the district. “I want to thank you and all of the administration for the incredible opportunity to be a part of the Wilmington school district. It was a great experience.”

Plese said the district didn’t know the name or grade level of the student involved.

Police said investigators determined Lewis committed numerous offenses between March and October 2014. Assisting in the investigation was the Will County High Tech Crimes Unit and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. An arrest warrant was issued Jan. 27, police said. Wilmington police processed Lewis Thursday morning and he was taken to the Will County Jail in Joliet.

“Due to information obtained during the investigation, Lewis’ passport has been revoked by the United States Department of State because it is believed that Lewis may try to flee the country to avoid prosecution,” police said in the news release.