Sex Offender Ex-Teacher Charged With Child Pornography Again

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Police said a former Highland Park High School substitute teacher and registered sex offender was arrested last week and charged with three counts stemming from the discovery of child pornography at his home.

Steven Habay, 47, was found guilty of seven counts of possession of child pornography in an October 2015 bench trial. He was sentenced to more than four years in prison, 30 months probation and lifetime registration as a sexual predator.

Habay was arrested again Tuesday on similar charges — one count of reproducing or distributing child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography — following an initial examination of electronic materials seized from the Lancelot Avenue home he shares with his parents, according to Highland Park police.

Deputy Chief William Bonaguidi said officers got a warrant to search the Habays' house last month after getting a tip as part of a separate investigation that began earlier this year.

"In this other investigation, we came across a belief that he had been using a dating app," Bonaguidi told Patch. "If he had been using it, he would be required to register the use of that app as part of the sex offender registration requirements."

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Ex-HPHS Substitute Gets 4 Years for Child Porn
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Former HPHS Sub Charged with Possession of Child Pornography

Following a bond hearing, a Lake County judge ordered Habay detained at Lake County Jail in lieu of the $75,000 cash portion of his bond.

Habay is due back in court Thursday on the new charges. He has also filed a post-conviction petition in the 2015 case that landed him on the registration, with a hearing on a motion set for June 18.

In the earlier case, officers said they discovered photographic evidence of sexual abuse of children under 13 while investigating a series of hateful online posts made on a blog used by teachers to communicate with students after Habay was fired for making "disparaging remarks" about students.

"Some teachers have better things to do than to attempt to teach animals and spoiled, entitled little cheaters, especially in a broken school, sorry, broken district," Habay wrote, according to an unpublished appeals court ruling upholding the verdict and his sentence. "[Student's initials] should be put down like a rabid dog in the streets. The truth hurts."