Former Lake County counselor pleads not guilty to child porn charges
A former Lake County juvenile counselor accused of taking lewd photos of a juvenile inmate under his care pleaded not guilty in court Thursday to charges he possessed child pornography.
Matthew Goebel, 26, of Morton Grove, also pleaded not guilty to charges of official misconduct, aggravated criminal sexual abuse and grooming two females prisoners between January and September, 2014, while he served as a counselor at the Robert W. Depke Center near Vernon Hills.
If found guilty of the most serious charges, he could be sentenced to 4 to 15 years in prison, officials said.
In court, Lake County Judge Daniel Shanes said Goebel is accused in an indictment of taking “photos of a child in lewd or unclothed position at a time when you were a public employee and serving in an official capacity.”
Shanes later said the charges involved two minor inmates at the justice complex, but he did not say what Goebel is accused of doing with the second prisoner.
Goebel is free from Lake County jail after posting 10 percent of his $250,000 bond.
Defense attorney Elliot Pinsel declined to comment after the hearing.
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.
While out on bail, Goebel is ordered to not have contact with anyone under the age of 18 or use the Internet. He was also ordered to not use drugs or alcohol and abide by any curfew set.
Pinsell said in court that Goebel was ordered to be on a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, but he argued Goebel should have the curfew pushed back to 10 p.m. to spend time with a sick relative living near Joliet.
Shanes said he would recommend the curfew restriction be lightened, but added he would leave the restrictions up to the Lake County pretrial services.
“Someone put up a lot of money to get you out of jail, so it's important that you follow each and every rule made by pretrial services,” Shanes warned. “If you do not follow the rules of (pretrial services) each and every week, I will not hesitate to raise your bond and put you back in jail.”
Goebel was suspended from his job at the Depke Center with pay in October 2014, when the investigation began into the allegations, court officials said. He was later placed on unpaid leave before being fired Nov. 26, officials said.
According to the Lake County government website, Goebel was hired in June 2013 as a counselor and was making about $42,000 annually.
Shanes set a trial date for Goebel of July 20. He is due back in court May 26.