A Crystal Lake attorney was convicted of a child pornography charge Friday after a judge determined he secretly videotaped a teenage girl undressing.
McHenry County Judge Michael Feetterer said the video appeared to have been shot by a "voyeur" and was "intended to illicit a sexual response."
Authorities said attorney James T. Zeas, of Lake Barrington, shot the video in a family changing area at an Algonquin fitness center in 2009 as it was being used by a 14-year-old girl.
The video, in which the girl’s breasts are exposed, was discovered by on Zeas’ laptop by his wife in 2011, prosecutors said.
Zeas’ attorney, Barry Lewis, suggested that Zeas’ now-ex-wife somehow manufactured the video herself, noting that the video was not turned over to authorities until 2015, when the couple was in the midst of a "contentious" divorce and custody battle.
But Assistant State’s Attorney Kate Lenhard noted that, after the girl changed into her bathing suit, Zeas could be seen on the footage adjusting the angle of the camera he had hidden in the changing room, apparently to capture a better view of the girl when she returned later to change out of her suit. Zeas is also seen trying to hide the camera with paper towels and a red hat, the prosecutor said.
Arrest and booking photos are provided by law enforcement officials. Arrest does not imply guilt, and criminal charges are merely accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proved guilty and convicted.
Lenhard said the girl was not posing or aware of the camera. She thought she was alone and didn’t know "the peeping tom (was) watching," the prosecutor said. "He took the innocence of a child. … He manufactured that into a voyeuristic (video) … that he then kept."
Lewis countered that there was "nothing sexually suggestive about the way she was in the video." He also said that the girl did not appear to be underage.
After Feetterer announced his verdict Friday, Zeas’ bond was immediately revoked. He is due to be sentenced March 29.
A representative from LifeTime Fitness, where the illicit video was shot, said in an email that Zeas’ actions "clearly were not in line with our policies or expectations."
The company cooperated with the investigation and will remain "vigilant" in enforcing its policies, said Natalie Bushaw, director public relations. There is "no tolerance for unacceptable behaviors or actions," she wrote.
Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter.
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