Niles North Teacher Pleads Guilty To Sexually Exploiting Minors
Jeffrey Tackes plead guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor today at the DuPage County Courthouse in Wheaton. He was accused of sexually exploiting two cheerleaders from Niles North High School in Skokie on Feb. 13, 2012.
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Jeffrey Tackes, the former Niles North math teacher and cheerleading coach who resigned after being accused of sexual exploitation of a minor, plead guilty at the DuPage County Courthouse in Wheaton today.
Tackes admitted to inviting the Niles North cheerleading team to his Bensenville home on Dec. 15. After the party had ended, two students stayed behind and played strip poker with Tackes, the Chicago Tribune reports. Tackes also exposed himself to the minors, who were 16 and 17.
Tackes was sentenced to 250 hours of community service and probation, the Tribune reported. He will also have to register as a sex offender for the next 10 years.
The allegations were brought to light on Feb. 13, 2012 when Tackes was charged. He was accused of coercing a Niles North student younger than 17 years old to remove her clothing for his sexual arousal or gratification, Bensenville police said. Tackes resigned one day after being charged. He had been coaching cheerleading the 14 months from the time of the incident until he resigned.
In March, Jim Szczepaniak, District 219's community relations director, said the school was not aware that Tackes had cheerleaders visit his home until it conducted an internal investigation.
"It became apparent that he had invited students there that night," Szczepaniak said in an email. "As part of our school investigation, Niles North administration interviewed all members of the cheerleading team, as well as coaches and others in contact with the cheerleading team."
NN '97
2:16 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
What a douchebag -
Gregg Baker
6:25 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
To bad he didn't get prison time. His strip poker experience would have helped him.
Rene
12:15 am on Saturday, August 25, 2012
OK..I'll ask my usual question - WHY are 2 minors going all the way out to Bensenville and then staying AFTER everyone else leaves? Not at all saying this guy isn't an ass. He is a pig. I just never get why these girls think this is OK, or need this kind of attention so badly, don't understand the repercussions of this stuff, didn't think for a second "this guy is a pig", how they can stay out to all hours and a parent isn't wondering where they are, didn't know where they were going and correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it true that if you're under 18? 21? On a lerner's permit? that you can't have anyone younger than 18 in your car? How did they get out here then? And does nothing happen to THEM, like they get kicked off the cheerleading squad, get their license revolked? Were they drinking? I'm just wondering why it doesn't go both ways. And yes, this guy is a pig.
b garrett
9:43 am on Sunday, August 26, 2012
Really.....and the parents are Shocked!Shocked!! ThAt these girls out late at night were not out visiting the sick and injured at local hospitals! And really from his picture does not look a lot older than mid 20's.... So I mean really... I did not read in the story the girls were made to do anything.
Jon Schneider
2:56 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
wow! Nowhere in the story does it mention the time of the party. And double wow and the "he doesn't look that old" comment. Who cares? He is old enough to know better. He is also a TEACHER, who is paid and taught to know better. Certainly, there is nothing in the story about "making the girls do anything" but again, there's nothing in the story about how late the girls were at the house either. I guess you read what you want to read into it. I imagine you'd do the same thing in his shoes, eh?
Sylvia Mallon
11:57 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
I know him... He always seemed like a creeper.
MM
11:37 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
How was he able to get a job at Niles North? How much 'experience' did he have? Lots of people are looking for jobs these days, maybe the districts today might consider that 'cheaper is better' is not really better. This sounds like a really expensive mistake on their part.
By the way, who is dumb enough to go 'party' with a math teacher/cheerleading coach?