Fox Lake father faces child endangerment, child pornography charges; mother charged with child endangerment
Three young children were discovered living in “horrid” conditions in a Fox Lake home, according to Lake County authorities after sheriff’s police searched the residence following a tip that indicated a device in Lake County uploaded child pornography.
The children’s father, Logan J. Jentink, 29, was subsequently charged with possession of child pornography, child endangerment and cruelty to animals.
Sheriff’s police determined the likely location of that device was a residence in the 0-100 block of Woodland Ave, Fox Lake, according Lake County authorities. On Aug. 14, officers executed a search warrant at the home.
“Investigators were surprised to learn an entire family was living in the basement of the home, including three children under the age of 3,” said deputy chief Christopher Covelli in a prepared statement
Describing the living conditions as “horrid,” Covelli said the children were “forced to sleep on the cold concrete in the basement which was covered in urine and animal feces.”
Officers contacted the Department of Children and Family Services which placed the children with a different guardian.
Sheriff’s police recovered malnourished, neglected animals — including iguanas, a bearded dragon, turtle and two dogs — in the basement. Some appeared close to death, Covelli said. Lake County Animal Control took custody of the animals.
Initially, Jentink was charged with five counts of cruel treatment to an animal and three counts of child endangerment. Following the analysis of his cellphone and the recovery of child pornography, detectives obtained an arrest warrant Thursday, adding seven counts of possession of child pornography to the charges, Covelli said.
Detectives also obtained an arrest warrant for the children’s mother, 23-year-old Sandra J. Zaluski, on three counts of child endangerment and five counts of cruel treatment to an animal.
Zaluski was released following a court hearing Friday. Jentink remains in the Lake County jail pending a court hearing.