Jeremy Hylka Criminal Indictment Revealed: It's 5 Felonies

JOLIET, IL — Sixteen days after fired Diocese of Joliet Catholic school teacher Jeremy Hylka was arrested by Joliet police, the formal charges filed by prosecutors have been made public.

Hylka faces a total of five criminal charges in connection with his April 27 visit to the Joliet McDonald's restaurant on Jefferson Street to, according to prosecutors, meet an underage boy for the purposes of a sexual encounter.

The five criminal charges against Hylka are: traveling to meet a child, indecent solicitation of a child, grooming, another charge of indecent solicitation of a child and a charge of solicitation to meet a child.

Earlier this month, Hylka spent several days inside the Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital in New Lenox after threatening to take his own life, court documents show.

In addition to being indicted by the Will County grand jury, the following events have transpired over the past month involving Hylka:

• The Diocese of Joliet fired him as a grade school teacher at St. Joseph's School in Lockport.
• The Joliet Weather Center severed ties with Hylka, who was its director.
• Hylka's wife filed for a divorce against him, and she also obtained a protection order to keep him away from her and their three small children.
• Hylka has hired Plainfield criminal defense lawyer JohnPaul Ivec as his lawyer.