Ex-principal pleads guilty to molesting student

The former principal of a Beach Park church school pleaded guilty Wednesday in Lake County Circuit Court to molesting an 11-year-old student.

Circuit Judge Fred Foreman ordered Daniel Pirozzi, 54, to spend four years on probation after accepting his plea to criminal sexual abuse.

Foreman also sentenced Pirozzi to 18 months in the county jail when not working or attending sex offender counseling, but said he would review the case in 30 days to see if Pirozzi was a candidate for early release.

Pirozzi, of the 39000 block of Green Bay Road in Beach Park, was the principal at Biblical Baptist Church Academy in that community for three years before his arrest.

In April, the girl's parents contacted sheriff's police after the girl told them Pirozzi had been holding "secret meetings" with her in his office and other places in the church where he lived.

The girl said Pirozzi would hug and kiss her during the meetings. When questioned about his relationship with the girl, Pirozzi told investigators he "had gone too far."

He pleaded guilty without a guarantee of a sentence, and could have faced up to seven years in prison.

Assistant State's Attorney Scott Hoffert asked Foreman to consider sending Pirozzi to prison, but told the judge the victim's parents had said they believed probation was an appropriate sentence.

Defense attorney Christopher Lombardo also asked for probation for his client, saying Pirozzi had been rated a good candidate for rehabilitation through treatment in a pre-sentence investigation.

Foreman ordered Pirozzi to successfully complete any treatment program recommended by the probation department, and told him he will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

He also ordered Pirozzi to have no contact with minors or the church and to perform 200 hours of public service.