Antioch Upper Grade School teacher jailed on porn charge resigns
Antioch Upper Grade School teacher Kenneth Johnson has resigned from his job effective Wednesday, said District 34 Superintendent Scott Thompson.
Johnson, a 20-year social studies teacher at the school, was arrested and charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography last month. He's in custody at the Lake County jail on $500,000 bond.
A seventh-grade social studies teacher, Johnson has been on unpaid leave until an internal investigation was completed, Thompson said.
More than 1,000 pictures and nearly 100 video clips of child pornography were discovered in Johnson's Wauconda apartment, police said. All the children in the pictures were boys who ranged in age from infants to 15-year-olds.
When he was arrested, Johnson told detectives he has sexually abused boys for the last 35 years and that many of the victims were in his Wauconda neighborhood and within the Antioch area, police said.
But police investigating the claims have not found any victims.
The district was moving through the process of firing Johnson, but his resignation has pre-empted that, Thompson said.
Johnson will be in court for a preliminary hearing on Thursday.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=267935">Officials answer questions in Antioch teacher porn case <span class="date">[1/29/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=267555">District 34 holds special meeting regarding teacher arrest<span class="date">[1/28/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=267125">Cops: Antioch teacher admits to sexually abusing kids<span class="date">[1/26/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>