Saunemin teacher, coach charged with possession of child porn

Mike Stoecklin was a teacher and coach at Saunemin Elementary School and head baseball coach at Pontiac Township High School during the past school year. (Facebook/Livingston County Sheriff’s Office)

By Greg Halbleib

PONTIAC – A teacher and coach from Saunemin faces child pornography charges involving a student at his school.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Department reports James Michael Stoecklin, 56, was taken into custody Sunday afternoon at the county’s Public Safety Complex in Pontiac. Stoecklin faces two counts of possession of child pornography. The sheriff’s department says the charges involve an underage male student at Saunemin Elementary School, where Stoecklin taught and coached basketball and baseball. He is also the head varsity baseball coach at Pontiac Township High School.

The sheriff’s department says Stoecklin remains in custody with bond set at $250,000. He must post $25,000 to be released.

Greg Halbleib can be reached at [email protected]

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…