ILLINOIS
Chicago Tribune
By Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune reporter
A church volunteer charged with the sexual abuse of a boy also worked with children at two Barrington schools and additional allegations of abuse are being investigated, officials said Tuesday.
Robert Sobczak, 19, of Hoffman Estates, who was charged this month with the sexual abuse of a minor at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, also worked in a Barrington Park District program called K.E.E.P. that provides before- and after-school services for children at Lines and Grove Avenue elementary schools, officials said.
Park District officials said they only learned of Sobczak’s arrest through media accounts and were never informed by state or local investigators. Sobczak had worked in the K.E.E.P. program since August, officials said, but was terminated this month.
Both church and park district officials said Sobczak passed background checks, and park officials said he was always under the supervision of other staff. School officials said they were not aware of any other allegations of wrongdoing. But an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services spokesman said Tuesday that the agency has received two new claims of abuse involving Sobczak since Thursday and are investigating.
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