Ex-Frankfort teacher sentenced to jail, probation for sex abuse of female minor

A former teacher from Frankfort was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 30 months of probation after he pleaded guilty last year to aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a girl.

Jack Mecher, 53, of Frankfort, was sentenced by Judge Vincent Cornelius on Tuesday to the 180-day jail sentence and two and a half years of what’s known as sex offender probation. Mecher will be given day-for-day credit for the jail sentence, which could reduce his 180-day sentence by half.

Mecher pleaded guilty Nov. 30 to aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a girl on March 6, 2020. That charge was one of nine that were filed against him after he was investigated over an inappropriate relationship he had with a former female student at Summit Hill Junior High School, 7260 N. Avenue, Frankfort.

The other eight charges that were dropped included criminal sexual assault, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, attempted criminal sexual assault, two counts of indecent solicitation of a child, aggravated battery and grooming.

Mecher resigned from Summit Hill School District 161 on Sept. 28, 2020, Superintendent Paul McDermott said.

As a result of Mecher’s sentence, he was certified as a sex offender.

Under the terms of Mecher’s probation, he is not allowed to have any unsupervised contact with any female minors; he is not allowed to have any position of trust, supervision or authority over female minors; and he is to have no contact with the victim.

Mecher must comply with all conditions of a psychosexual evaluation and perform 150 hours of community service.

On Sept. 9, 2020, detectives with the Will County Sheriff’s Office met with the mother of a 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.

The daughter on Sept. 6, 2020, said that she and Mecher had been having an inappropriate relationship in Mecher’s Summit Hill Junior High School classroom, police said, and detectives investigated the allegations.

The girl 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.”