Child Porn Inquiry: Airline Exec From Elmhurst Suspected

ELMHURST, IL — Jake Cefolia, the United Airlines executive from Elmhurst whose body was found in October, was under investigation for possession of child pornography, according to police records released Friday.

Police disclosed their report in response to a public records request from Patch. Cefolia, 49, was missing for more than a year before his body was found at Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve in Lemont in October.

The police report blacked out the name of the suspect. But the records were in response to Patch's request for the investigation into Cefolia before he disappeared. The police had already acknowledged he was the subject of an inquiry.

According to the report, the investigation involved videos of nude girls 3 to 11 years old, who were engaged in sex acts.

Shortly after noon Aug. 5, 2020, police showed up at Cefolia's house at 454 S. Rex Blvd. The report said Cefolia denied downloading any child pornography. He said his children would stop by on occasion, but he said he was the only one with access to the Wi-Fi.

After Cefolia gave passwords to his electronics, he asked whether he should get a lawyer, to which an officer said that was his decision, police said. An officer said he would return Cefolia's cellphones the next day, unless child pornography was found, the report said.

Last year, Patch obtained the Elmhurst police report on Cefolia's disappearance. The report said his son left his father's house on the night of Aug. 6, reporting his father was extremely drunk, police said.

Cefolia, who was the vice president of worldwide sales for United Airlines, did not answer calls or texts from family afterward, police said. So his ex-wife became worried and checked Cefolia's house Aug. 8, 2020, according to the report. His car was not there. A note from Cefolia's co-worker was on the front door. She then alerted police, according to a report.

According to the report, she said her ex-husband suffered no mental illness to her knowledge or took any medication. But she said he might have had a drinking problem. She also told police that Cefolia "fantasized about going off the grid," meaning having no electronics or communications with others, the report said.

According to the report, DuPage County Forest Preserve officers found Cefolia's Range Rover on the night of Aug. 8, 2020, at Waterfall Glen, where Cefolia was known to run. A number of searches there were unsuccessful.

On Oct. 22, Cefolia's body was found by contractors working at the preserve. The coroner confirmed the identity.

Cefolia, who led a workforce of 725 at United, had been with the company since 2007. He put his house on Rex Boulevard for sale in June 2020. It sold a year ago. Cefolia bought it in 2016.