Ex-HPHS Substitute Gets 4 Years for Child Porn

Former Highland Park High School substitute teacher Steven Habay was sentenced to four years in prison this week on charges he possessed images of child pornography on his computer.

According to the Lake County News-Sun, Judge Daniel Shanes told Habay teachers are held to a higher standard of trust and parents expect that their children will be safe “not only physically but emotionally” at school.

“Temper and impulsiveness is a problem for you,” Shanes told Habay.

Habay will be eligible to be released from prison in two years, but upon release he must serve 30 additional months of probation with periodic imprisonment, in which he will only be released from the Lake County jail for work or treatment.

Habay was first arrested in May 2014 when what has been called “disparaging remarks” were made online after he found out HPHS was not planning on renewing him as a substitute teacher. Habay’s lawyers have said their client spoke up about certain students who had been cheating, and that the school took the students’ side over the teacher’s.

When investigating the case of cyberstalking, authorities found images of child pornography on Habay’s computer. The initial charges of cyberstalking and electronic harassment were dropped soon after the child pornography charge was added.

According to the News-Sun: “Habay said he was assured by police they only wanted consent to check out his computer to see if the blog postings were sent from it, and that he never would have consented to a search of its contents.”

Habay is expected to appeal the verdict.

more via the Lake County News-Sun