Former Lake County counselor facing child porn charges free on bond
A former Lake County juvenile counselor accused of possessing child pornography and grooming female prisoners at the Lake County juvenile justice center is free on bond.
Last weekend, Matthew Goebel, 26, of Morton Grove, paid the required $25,000, or 10 percent of his $250,000 bail, to be released from Lake County jail, defense attorney Elliot Pinsel said. During a hearing Monday, Pinsel said a judge approved a request to reduce Goebel's bail to $150,000, with the difference going toward paying his legal fees.
Pinsel would not discuss details of the case after bond court Monday.
Goebel turned himself in Friday after being charged with three counts of possession of child pornography, indecent solicitation of a child and grooming.
In the context of a charge, "grooming" is the act of purposefully becoming emotionally connected to a minor, with the aim of eventually exploiting that relationship for sexual or other means, authorities said.
If found guilty of the most serious charge, he can be sentenced up to 15 years in prison.
Goebel is ordered to not have contact with anyone under the age of 18 or use the Internet while out on bail. He is also ordered to not use drugs or alcohol and to abide by any curfew set by the county probation department.
Judge Christen Bishop would not discuss details about the charges in court Friday except to say the allegations involve two girls under the age of 18 and occurred while Goebel was working at the Robert W. Depke Juvenile Justice Center near Vernon Hills.
Authorities have not released additional details of the crime.
Goebel was suspended with pay in October 2014, when the investigation began, court administrator Robert Zastany said. Goebel was placed on unpaid leave, then fired Nov. 26 for "gross misconduct," Zastany said.
According to the Lake County government website, Goebel was hired in June 2013 as a counselor and was making about $42,000 annually.