A suburban elementary school is contacting families and parents after a teacher was arrested when an investigation revealed he combed through the social media of local students to share and spread child pornography across the U.S.
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Todd Fowler, 47, of Grayslake, was arrested on charges of dissemination and possessing child pornography, with additional charges possible. He is expected to make his first court appearance at 9 a.m. Friday.
The investigation into Fowler, a teacher at Woodland Elementary in Gurnee, began after the sheriff’s office received a tip from a social media company that a user may have been sharing and spreading child pornography.
Further investigation by officials revealed that Fowler not only possessed child pornography, but took photos posted to social media by area students and their parents, and shared them with pedophiles from across the country.
A letter sent to families from Woodland District 50 Superintendent Dr. Robert Machak said Fowler has been placed on administrative leave as the investigation continues.
“Student safety is always the district’s top priority, and Woodland is fully cooperating with the police in their investigation,” the message read.
In the letter Machak also said Fowler had been employed by the school since 2019 following successful completion of a criminal background check.
Machak and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office also warned that there may be additional victims, with Machak asking parents to contact the school’s social worker, or the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center.
“The sheriff’s office asks that you speak to your children to see if they have communicated with Fowler or believe they may be a victim of Fowler,” the sheriff’s office said. “If so, please contact sheriff’s detectives at 847-377-4000.”
In a statement, Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg called the crime described as “despicable — especially when committed by someone entrusted to be a positive influence on our youth.”
“The actions of one individual do not reflect the thousands of hardworking, dedicated teachers and educators in our community,” the statement continued. “With that, this is a reminder that it is critically important for parents to monitor who their children are communicating with and to regularly remind them about the dangers of social media and the internet.”
Fowler remains held in the Lake County Jail ahead of his first hearing. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office intends to file a petition to detain Fowler while he awaits trial, the sheriff’s office said.
The full message from Supt. Machak can be found below:
May 15, 2025
Dear Woodland Community,
Earlier today, I was contacted by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) to inform us that a Woodland Elementary employee, Todd Fowler, was arrested and an investigation is underway. We are sharing the information released by the Sheriff’s Office because there is an impact on children in the community and we want to be proactive in sharing any information that may be helpful to the investigation. (Please see below)
Student safety is always the district’s top priority, and Woodland is fully cooperating with the police in their investigation. Additionally, the teacher has been placed on administrative leave while we work through the proper police and administrative channels. Fowler has been employed by Woodland since 2019 after successfully completing a criminal background check.
According to the LCSO, this is an active investigation, and there may be additional victims. If you need support talking with your child about this incident, please contact the social worker at your child’s school or contact the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center.
If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. While I cannot provide information that would interfere with the investigation underway, I am ready to listen to any concerns you may have and answer questions to the best of my ability.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert Machak, Superintendent
Woodland D50
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