Downers Grove Coach Arrested On Child Porn Charges

DARIEN, IL – An assistant girls track coach at Downers Grove South High School was arrested Tuesday on federal child pornography charges.

Darien resident Glenn Clifford Messmer resigned that same day as coach, the school said in an email Wednesday night to District 99's families.

Agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted a search of Messmer's house early in the morning Tuesday in the 900 block of Windmere Court. Patch reported that same day that a federal investigation had taken place there.

In its statement, the district said no students were believed to have been involved or included as victims in the case. Messmer, who is not a full-time school employee, runs a business on Ebay selling Legos and other items, court records state.

Messmer had served as an assistant girls track coach at Downers Grove South since April 2021. He volunteered in that role for a couple of years before that in the district.

The district said Messmer passed a background check before he interacted with any students.

According to the federal complaint, Homeland Security executed a search warrant and looked through Messmer's desktop computer files.

Messmer had numerous conversations with a 14-year-old Georgia girl on the Telegram and Snapchat social media apps, the complaint said. She sent him nude photos and video in return for money, the documents state.

The girl said she sent such photos and videos once a week for several months last year the complaint said.

Two of her friends, a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl, did the same, authorities allege.

Messmer sent money through an app. He told federal agents that he usually made payments of $10 to $50, totaling $2,000, the complaint said.