$750,000 bail for Glendale Hts. suspect

Bail was set at $750,000 for a Glendale Heights man accused of possessing a “staggering” amount of child pornography, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Michael Jachim, 39, of the 100 block of Gladstone Drive, was being held in the DuPage County jail on three counts of aggravated child pornography possession. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.

Prosecutors said Jachim came under investigation in January by the Illinois Attorney General's High Tech Crimes Bureau. It was later discovered that he possessed thousands of images and videos of child pornography on a computer and DVDs found in his home, authorities said.

“The sheer number of images alleged in the complaint against Mr. Jachim is just staggering,” DuPage State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a news release. “Child pornography is not a victimless crime and, if these allegations are proven true, Mr. Jachim victimized thousands of young children to satisfy his own sick desires.”

Jachim is scheduled for arraignment April 11 in front of Judge John Kinsella. Should he post the necessary $75,000 to bond out of jail, authorities said, he has been ordered to have no contact with children and no computer access.

Jachim has worked with the Daily Herald as an independent contractor.

Berlin credited Prosecutor Helen Kapas Erdman, the attorney general's office and Glendale Heights detectives Charles May and Mike Huff for “their ongoing efforts in protecting our children from child pornographers.”