Neighbors complain about Wheaton group home after arrest

Neighbors of a transitional living facility in Wheaton are expressing renewed concerns after a man who lives there was arrested last week for possession of child pornograpy.

But city officials say they can’t do much about the home because it’s a state-licensed facility that follows all group home provisions of the Federal Fair Housing Act.

The home on the 1700 block of Liberty Drive is a ChildServ facility that helps youths who have been wards of the state transition into adulthood.

On March 28, police arrested Michael A. Jacob, 20, at the home and charged him with possession of child pornography. According to court records, a computer at the home contained at least one pornographic picture of an underage girl.

The arrest sparked new complaints from neighbors, who expressed their frustration at an informal city meeting last Saturday. City Manager Don Rose said the complaints were similar to ones made when the facility first came to town about three months ago.

“When the word circulated through the neighborhood that that was what was going to occupy the property, the neighbors got concerned,” he said. “They brought it to our attention and we looked at what was being proposed.”

But Rose said the home did not have to go through the city’s zoning process as long as it followed a group home provision in the federal housing law.

“It limits what a municipality can legally do,” he said.

Rose said complaints died down until Jacob’s arrest.

Jacob was in DuPage County jail being held on $200,000 bond and is due in court Monday. He has been ordered not to have contact with anyone younger than 18.

A spokeswoman for ChildServ, which maintains several homes in DuPage County and provides services in DuPage, Lake and Cook counties, said a fully trained staff member monitors the home 24 hours a day.

“The youths in the transitional facility are youths that, for various reasons, have not been fortunate enough to be placed in foster homes or their home situation has not been corrected to the point where they are able to return home,” Millicent Collier said.

Additionally, she said, an investigation into the incident has been launched.

“It’s very similar to what would happen in any nurturing home,” Collier said. “An incident occurs and there is a thorough investigation taking place to fully understand what prompted the alleged behavior and the necessary disciplinary action will be delivered as it is proven.”

Collier said she stands behind the service her organization provides and that rules are in place and staff members try their best to help the residents comply.

“Not only in this incident, but with our day-to-day services we deliver, especially in our residential programs, we believe that the youth is our tomorrow,” she said. “It’s up to all of us to shape those lives. It is the culture of our agency to deliver services that will help these young people build and achieve to get better lives. That is first and foremost in all of our facilities.”