Ex-Glen Ellyn church director guilty in child porn case

A former Glen Ellyn church music director pleaded guilty Thursday to aggravated possession of child pornography and was sentenced to six months in jail.

Brian K. Milnikel, 46, of Naperville, will get credit for 49 days he already has spent behind bars and could be released after just 41 more days for good behavior. Milnikel will have to undergo 30 months of sex offender probation and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, DuPage County Prosecutor Anne Therieau said.

Authorities said they recovered multiple computers containing illegal images of children during a February search of Milnikel's home on the 600 block of Nelli Court. Police also arrested Milnikel's roommate, 20-year-old Christopher F. Kontopoulos, during the course of the investigation. The case against the roommate is still pending, Therieau said.

The images depicted children as young as 8 engaged in sex acts with other children and adults, prosecutors said following Milnikel's arrest.

Milnikel had worked full-time for St. James the Apostle Church in Glen Ellyn leading up to his arrest. He had taught music at Naperville's St. Raphael's Catholic Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Roselle over the past 20 years, court records showed. He is not accused of any illegal contact with any of the church's young parishioners.

Therieau said Milnikel was free on bond and is expected to turn himself in to begin serving the remainder of his jail sentence on Nov. 18.