Libertyville middle school teacher charged with videotaping students, using AI to create…
A Highland Middle School teacher was charged with child pornography after allegedly using AI to create explicit images from videos recorded of students.
- Incident date
- Jun 2024
- Target
- Highland Middle School students
In June 2024, an investigation began after students at Highland Middle School reported that their social studies teacher, 44-year-old Marshall Sheffer, appeared to be video recording them in class. Following an investigation involving the Libertyville Police and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, Sheffer was taken into custody on eight counts of Child Pornography.
What happened
The investigation into Sheffer, who had been a teacher in the district for 18 years, revealed that he had been recording videos of his students. Forensic examination of the defendant’s phone, conducted by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Cyber Lab, uncovered numerous images of students that had been altered using artificial intelligence software to create explicit content.
Law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence, utilizing Electronic Storage Detection K9 units to recover multiple electronic devices. As a result of the digital forensic evidence and the investigation, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved multiple charges against Sheffer, including two class X felonies and six Class 1 felonies. The district cooperated with the investigation after receiving reports from students on June 3, the second-to-last day of the school year. Prosecutors have indicated they intend to petition to detain Sheffer in the Lake County Jail while the case is pending.