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Former Lake County juvenile counselor pleads guilty to official misconduct

A former Lake County juvenile counselor once accused of taking lewd photos of underage inmates under his care pleaded guilty in Lake County court to one count of official misconduct.

Matthew Goebel, 26, of Morton Grove, was sentenced to 12 months of probation and 100 public service hours as part of the negotiated settlement approved by Judge Daniel Shanes on April 6, said Cynthia Vargas, spokeswoman for the Lake County State's Attorney's Office.

Goebel is not allowed to use drugs or alcohol while on probation, Vargas said. He is also not allowed to have contact with the victims in the case or possess any firearms.

Goebel was sentenced to 90 days in Lake County jail, Vargas said, but that sentence will be dropped if he follows the order of the court during his probation sentence.

Charges of child pornography, aggravated criminal sexual abuse and grooming were dropped as part of the negotiated settlement, Vargas said.

Had the case gone to trial and he had been found guilty of the most serious charge, Goebel could have been sentenced to 4 to 15 years in prison, officials said.

Goebel was accused of taking lewd photos of two females prisoners between January and September, 2014, while he served as a counselor at the Robert W. Depke Center near Vernon Hills.

In the context of a charge, “grooming” is the act of purposefully becoming emotionally connected to a minor, with the aim of eventually exploiting that relationship for sexual or other means, authorities said.

Goebel was suspended from his job at the Depke Center with pay in October 2014, when the investigation into the allegations began, court officials said. He was later placed on unpaid leave before being fired Nov. 26, officials said.

According to the Lake County government website, Goebel was hired in June 2013 as a counselor and was paid about $42,000 annually.

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