Crystal Lake city clerk arrested, charged with grooming, possession of child sexual abuse images

The Crystal Lake city clerk has been arrested and charged with possession of images of child sexual abuse and grooming, both felonies, authorities announced late Tuesday.

Nicholas Kachiroubas of Crystal Lake was taken into custody Tuesday after authorities from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division served a search warrant, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

Officials confirmed that Kachiroubas is the city clerk for the city of Crystal Lake. There has been no immediate response from city officials.

In addition to his role at City Hall, Kachiroubas also sits on the Illinois Community College Board and is an associate professor in DePaul University’s School of Public Service, according to the board’s and college’s respective websites.

According to the release, the investigation that led to Kachiroubas’ arrest began in April, when the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children provided the sheriff’s office with information from the Internet Crimes Against Children Data System pertaining to the online enticement of children for sexual acts.

Kachiroubas was taken to the McHenry County Jail after his arrest. Court was closed Wednesday to mark Juneteenth, so he’s expected to go before a judge Thursday to decide whether he will be released while he awaits trial.

According to his DePaul online bio, Kachiroubas has a doctorate in leadership learning and service and served as a trustee for McHenry County College, having been elected at age 19 after serving as student trustee. He has served on numerous nonprofits, and he “especially enjoyed his time on the boards of the America’s Cardboard Cup Regatta and the Crystal Lake Park Foundation,” according to the bio.