More charges filed against Frankfort teacher in sex abuse case: cops

More criminal charges have been filed against a Frankfort teacher who has already been charged with soliciting and grooming a child to perform sexual acts, police said.

On Wednesday, detectives with the sheriff’s office met with Will County prosecutors regarding an ongoing criminal sexual assault investigation of Jack Mecher, 51, of the 22500 block of Merriton Road, according to a Will County Sheriff’s Office news release.

A Will County assistant state’s attorney “approved additional felony charges against Mecher” that include aggravated criminal sexual abuse, criminal sexual assault and aggravated battery, police said.

“These charges were indicted in front of a Will County grand jury along with the original charges filed against Mecher in September of two counts of indecent solicitation of a child and one count of grooming,” police said.

On Sept. 9, sheriff's detectives met with the mother of a minor child who wished to report that her daughter was having an "inappropriate sexting relationship" with her former seventh grade teacher, police said.

Police said the mother identified Mecher as the teacher and that he worked at Summit Hill Junior High School in Frankfort Square.

The daughter said on Sept. 6 that she and Mecher had been having an inappropriate relationship in Mecher's Summit Hill Junior High School classroom, according to police, and detectives investigated the allegations.

Detectives questioned Mecher about the relationship and he made “numerous statements to detectives which indicated that the outcry made by the victim was a valid complaint," police said.

Mecher was taken to the Will County jail on a $250,000 bond. He was released from jail on Sept. 23 after he posted 10% of his bond.

Mecher was "suspended pending further investigation," said Superintendent Barb Rains of Summit Hill School District 161.

Mecher was initially represented by attorney Donald DeWilkins, who has since been chosen to become an associate judge in Will County. Attorney Jeff Tomczak filed his appearance to represent Mecher on Oct. 16, court records show.