Former Elk Grove Village music teacher sentenced on child porn charges

A former Elk Grove Village elementary school music teacher was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison on child pornography charges.

Andrew Clarke, 29, of the 100 block of Golfview Drive in Glendale Heights, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of possession of child pornography. Clarke, who had been free after posting $20,000 of his $200,000 bail, was immediately taken into custody.

In January 2016, as part of an ongoing investigation into the possession and dissemination of child pornography, authorities with the Illinois Children's Advocacy Centers, with assistance from the Elmhurst and Glendale Heights police departments, identified a computer in DuPage County that was downloading files containing child pornography. Through the course of their investigation, detectives discovered Clarke had images containing child pornography.

Authorities also learned that while Clarke was employed as a teacher, he videotaped himself masturbating at Adolph Link Elementary, where he worked from 2011 to 2013.

None of the images Clarke possessed involved children at the school.

"Child pornography is not a victimless crime and what occurred in this case is beyond disgusting," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a written statement. "Every time one of these images is downloaded or shared on the internet, child pornography claims another young, innocent victim."

Clarke will be required to serve half his sentence before being eligible for parole. In addition, he will be required to register for life as a sex offender.