Wheaton man guilty of downloading child porn

A man who downloaded child pornography while living at a Wheaton group home was sentenced Wednesday to probation and jail.

Michael A. Jacob, 21, pleaded guilty in exchange for two years of probation and 180 days in jail. He also must register as a sex offender.

Jacob was arrested at a state-licensed ChildServ group home after police found child pornography on his computer using an online file-sharing service in February, prosecutors said.

The following month, police uncovered additional child pornography on a laptop in Jacob's room at the group home, 1706 E. Liberty Drive, said Assistant State's Attorney Todd Fanter. Jacob confessed he knew the images were illegal, authorities said.

Jacob already has served 199 days in jail since his arrest. But DuPage County Judge George Bakalis ordered the defendant held for up to a year or until his probation is transferred to Wisconsin, where he plans to live with his mother.

“I'm not just going to have you out on the street,” Bakalis said.

The case sparked complaints from neighbors surrounding ChildServ, which assists young wards of the state as they transfer into adulthood. But city officials at the time said there was little they could do as long as the facility followed fair-housing laws.

Jacob went into foster care at age 10 and moved into the facility about 18 months before his arrest, according to court records.

ChildServ runs several group homes in DuPage and also offers services in Lake and Cook counties, officials have said.