McHenry County judge who tried Crystal Lake lawyer on child porn charge recuses himself

WOODSTOCK – The sentencing of a Crystal Lake lawyer convicted of a child pornography charge was delayed Tuesday when the McHenry County judge who tried the case recused himself.

McHenry County Judge Michael Feetterer said he would not be able to hear any post-trial motions or sentence James Zeas on the felony charge, citing a conflict of interest.

Feetterer said he recently found out that his wife shared an office space with Zeas’ divorce attorney.

Zeas, 48, was convicted of the charge in February after Feetterer found that the lawyer recorded a young teenage girl undressing at an Algonquin fitness club.

Authorities said Zeas, of Lake Barrington, took three children in June 2009 to Lifetime Fitness in Algonquin to go swimming. Zeas then secretly placed a video camera in the family bathroom and recorded a 14-year-old girl changing out of her swimsuit, prosecutors said.

Zeas’ wife found the video, in which the girl’s breasts are exposed, on his computer in 2011, but it was not turned over to police until 2015, around the time of the couple’s divorce, according to court documents.

Judge Sharon Prather now is presiding over the case, and Zeas next will appear in court May 19.