Staff Finds Bathroom Camera At Northfield Elementary School: Cops

NORTHFIELD, IL — A camera was discovered inside a staff bathroom at a Northfield elementary school this week, according to police and school officials.

A school employee called police around 4 p.m. Tuesday to report that a "video recording device" had been found in a staff bathroom at Sunset Ridge Elementary School, 525 Sunset Ridge Road, Northfield police said.

The staff member had found a cell-phone camera hidden and recording from inside a trash can in a bathroom designated for use by staff, District 29 Superintendent Ed Stange told parents in an email Wednesday.

Sgt. Michael Hutensky confirmed police had recovered a recording device at the school, but he said he was unable to say whether it appeared to have been pointing at people using the facilities. Police searched the the building and all other facilities in Sunset Ridge School District 29 but did not find anything else suspicious.

Stange said police had already identified a possible suspect as of Wednesday night. Administrators banned that person from district property until the investigation is complete, according to the superintendent's letter to parents. Stange declined further comment on the situation, citing the active police investigation.

Last year, a former kindergarten teacher's assistant at District 29's other campus was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. Police and prosecutors have not alleged he targeted any students or staff.

UPDATE: Police Identify School Bathroom Hidden Camera Suspect