Prosecutor: Crystal Lake man seen in video ‘propping’ up camera secretly placed to record child

A McHenry County judge ordered Tuesday a Crystal Lake man, who co-owns the Huntley Dairy Mart, to not have any unsupervised contact with children.

Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Miller had requested Christopher S. Hopp, 38, have no contact with any minors as an additional condition of his pre-trial release, saying in court Tuesday that Hopp was seen on a video “propping” up a recording device that looked like a pen, which secretly captured images of an unclothed minor.

Hopp is charged with two counts of creating child pornography, Class X felonies, as well as two counts of possessing child pornography and video recording without consent, according to the criminal complaint.

He is accused of recording a child undressing without the child knowing and reproducing and creating a video file of it on a computer, the complaint alleges.

Hopp also was charged, along with his wife, Corinne E. Breskovich, 42, with possession and possession with intent to deliver more than 200 grams of psilocybin, a type of psychedelic mushroom, as well as unlawfully possessing a Remington 12-gauge shotgun, a Taurus PT22 pistol, a Remington long rifle, a Ruger Security-Six revolver, ammunition and shotgun shells, according to documents filed in the McHenry County courthouse.

Hopp and Breskovich each bonded out of the McHenry County jail last week. Hopp posted the required 10% of a $400,000 bond and Breskovich posted $1,500 of a $150,000 bond.

In October, the couple bought the Huntley Dairy Mart, a popular local gathering place located on Route 47 for families since the 1950s, through Windy City Landholdings LLC, according to state and county records.

Miller argued a motion Tuesday asking McHenry County Judge James Cowlin to modify Hopp’s pre-trial release to include, in addition to having no contact with the minor he allegedly recorded, to have no contact with any minors.

Noting he is the owner of the Dairy Mart, Miller said the shop employs teenaged girls and is often frequented by minors.

Hopp’s attorney Daniel Hofmann argued that the prosecutor’s motion is “incredibly over broad.”

He said Hopp had worked with a youth football league and there were no allegations made by the organization, adding that Hopp “voluntarily” shut down the Dairy Mart after being charged.

The charges came after the child discovered on Jan. 25 the “small surveillance camera” that looked like a pen “propped on top of” a few actual pens, Miller said in court. Hopp is seen in at least two recordings propping the device up, Miller said.

The minor spoke with Crystal Lake police that day who then obtained a search warrant. The following day, when police searched the home, they found the recordings and then found the mushrooms, firearms, a scale and almost $3,000 in cash, Miller said.

Miller also said Hopp put children who live in the home in a dangerous situation by having the drugs and guns accessible to them.

Hopp presents a danger to children and “could place cameras in the bathroom [at Dairy Mart] where employees are working,” Miller said.

Cowlin ultimately ordered that Hopp not have any “unsupervised contact with any minors.”

“I am most disturbed by the video recordings,” Cowlin said.

Hopp is due back in court for preliminary hearing on March 2. Breskovich is due back for preliminary hearing Feb. 17.