Frankfort teacher had inappropriate relationship with child: cops

A Summit Hill Junior High School teacher was arrested after he had an inappropriate relationship with a former female student, police said.

About 11:50 a.m. Tuesday, Jack Mecher, 51, of the 22500 block of Merritton Road, Frankfort, was taken to the Will County jail on charges of indecent solicitation of a child and grooming, according to a Will County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Mecher is being held in jail on a $250,000 bond. His first court appearance will be on Wednesday.

On Sept. 9, sheriff detectives met with the mother of a minor child who wished to report that her daughter was having an “inappropriate sexting relationship” with her former seventh grade teacher, police said.

Police said the mother identified Mecher as the teacher and that he worked at Summit Hill Junior High School, 7260 North Avenue, Frankfort.

The daughter said on Sept. 6 that she and Mecher had been having an inappropriate relationship in Mecher’s Summit Hill Junior High School classroom, according to police, and detectives investigated the allegations.

The child was interviewed by a forensic interviewer with the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, an organization established by Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow that assists law enforcement and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services with conducting “child-sensitive, forensic interviews.”

On Tuesday, Mecher was taken into custody before he reported to work, police said.

“Detectives at the Will County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Complex questioned Mecher about the relationship and he made numerous statements to detectives which indicated that the outcry made by the victim was a valid complaint,” police said.

Mecher is listed as an eighth grade math teacher on the Summit Hill School District 161 website.

Summit Hill Superintendent Barb Rains did not immediately respond to a message Tuesday inquiring on whether Mecher was still employed with the district and if district officials are conducting their own investigation of the matter.