Morrison High history teacher, baseball coach facing child pornography charges

MORRISON – A 49-year-old Morrison history teacher and head baseball coach is in Whiteside County jail on $100,000 bond, charged with three counts of possession of child pornography.

Joshua J. Robbins of Sterling was arrested Thursday after a search of his home in the 15000 block of Willow Court, investigators from the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation said in a news release Friday.

Two of the three computer images found are of girls Robbins “knew or should have known” were younger than 13, exposing themselves to the camera, while the third is of a girl he knew or should have known was younger than 18, performing a sex act on a man, court records show.

His initial appearance is April 29 in Whiteside County Court.

Robbins, who moved to Sterling from Pearl City last year to teach and coach the Mustangs, faces 3 to 7 years in prison and a mandatory fine of $1,000 to $100,000 on each charge if convicted.

In the meantime, he is on administrative leave from the district, Superintendent Scott Vance said.

The School Board will decide if further action is warranted as more information from investigators becomes available, Vance said.

Arrangements will be made to cover Robbins’ classes and coaching duties.

For now, educators and administrators are focused on the safety of their students, he said.

Morrison High Principal Cory Bielema and Athletic Director Gregg Dolan will be talking with the teens.

They will be difficult conversations, and ones that “must be handled with kid gloves,” but they will be stressing that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, Vance said.