Illinois Elementary School Teacher Arrested on Child Porn Charges

Collin Zier, an elementary school music teacher in Lena, Illinois, was arrested Thursday a
Stephenson County Sheriff's Office
Amy Furr

A elementary school music teacher in Lena, Illinois, was arrested Thursday and accused in a case regarding child pornography.

The suspect is identified as 38-year-old Collin Zier, whom deputies with the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office Crime Suppression Unit took into custody at a home on Virginia Avenue, WREX reported on Friday.

Authorities had a felony arrest warrant issued for him regarding one count of child pornography, which was related to alleged incidents in June.

“The arrest followed a report from an official with the Orangeville School District (#203), who raised concerns about a district employee communicating with a student outside of school through a non-approved platform,” the WREX article said.

As of Saturday morning, Zier was listed as a music teacher on the Orangeville Elementary School web page.

“At this time, we believe that there may be additional current or former Orangeville School District students who have yet to be interviewed who may have information pertinent to this investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post on Friday:

For Immediate Release September 6th, 2024 FELONY ARREST WARRANT SERVEDOn September 5th, 2024, at approximately…

Posted by Stephenson County Sheriff's Office on Friday, September 6, 2024

“We would ask that any current or former Orangeville School District students who would like to speak with someone from our Investigations Division to please call 815-235-8252. This investigation is still fluid and additional criminal charges are possible,” the agency added.

Officials are holding the suspect inside the Stephenson County Jail pending a detention hearing.

Similarly, a substitute teacher in Homestead, Florida, was recently accused of possessing child pornography after law enforcement performed a lengthy investigation, Breitbart News reported on Friday.

According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) website, child pornography is also known as child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

“Just as kids can’t legally consent to sex, they can’t consent to having images of their abuse recorded and distributed. Every explicit photo or video of a kid is actually evidence that the child has been a victim of sexual abuse,” the site read.

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