Former Teacher Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Crimes

A Lake Forest man who taught at Gavin Middle School in Ingleside for nearly two decades had plead guilty to criminal sexual assault of a child and other sex crimes, according to the Lake Forester.

Michael Vucic, 42 could be sentenced to as much as 82 years in prison after pleading guilty to the charges; predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, criminal sexual assault and two counts of possession of child pornography; on Thursday in Lake County Court. A status hearing is scheduled for October 19, when sentencing is expected to take place.

When allegations arose that Vucic had sexual contact with a girl under the age of 14 and a 15-year-old girl came forward saying she had sex with him at school, Vucic fled the country and sparked an international manhunt.

He was taken into custody in September 2014 after an arrest warrant had been issued a month earlier. It was only after an intense manhunt by the Lake County sheriff, U.S. Marshals Service and Foreign Affairs in Bosnia until Vucic was caught, prosecutors have said.

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