Police: Staffer Sexually Abused Lake Forest Students

A former Lake Forest High School employee was charged today with nine counts of sex related crimes today against two female students at the school, according to a release from the Lake Forest Police Department.

Benjamin Davidson, 30, of North Chicago, a former theater manager at the school, was arrested for criminal sexual abuse, child pornography and aggravated criminal sexual abuse by Lake Forest Police after an investigation of more than two months, according to the release.

Davidson managed the audio visual services of the Lake Forest High School drama department supervising a staff of student volunteers. In that capacity, he “engaged in an inappropriate and illegal relationship of a sexual nature with two female students under the age of eighteen, while in a position of authority over those students,” according to the release.

School officials received a complaint in late March from the parent of a student, began an investigation and reported the incident to the Lake Forest Police, according to the release. Davidson, employed by the school since 2008, resigned when told of the complaint.

During the police investigation, police talked to Davidson, witnesses and potential victims as well as analyzing text messages, email, videos and photographs from a variety of digital sources, according to the release.

“These records indicate a consistent pattern of Davidson engaging in inappropriate and explicit text conversations of a sexual nature with students,” Police said in the release. “In some cases, he describes sex acts he completed with those students.”

The school issued its own statement today explaining its internal investigation is still going on. The school said in the statement social workers and counselors are available for students who feel a need for support.

Davidson is charged with four counts of criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 Felony, there counts of child pornography, a Class 1 Felony, and two count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 Felony, according to Deputy Lake County State’s Attorney Ken Larue. The charges carry a combined sentence between 37 and 126 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Davidson appeared in Lake County Criminal Court today where bond was set at $100,000, according to Larue. Should he post bond, he can have no contact Lake Forest High School students or staff as well as any underage persons. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 10:30 a.m. July 1 in Waukegan. 

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