Former Illinois State Trooper Pleads Guilty to Viewing Child Pornography While on the Job

• Editor's note: This is not a Geneva story per se, so I'm not going to major feature it on Geneva Patch. But it is a state trooper and too close to home for comfort. It also follows a release of an Tuesday.

A former Illinois State Trooper pleaded guilty to official misconduct and possession of child pornography on Tuesday. 

Juan Rodriguez, 51, of Glen Ellyn, pleaded guilty to accessing child pornography while on duty.   

An investigation revealed that Rodriguez accessed child pornography through his state-issued mobile data computer in August 2009. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division (ICE) lead the investigation, which uncovered the felonies. 

The DuPage County State Attorney's office announced the guilty plea this afternoon. 

“It steals its victim’s innocence one photograph at a time. This case is particularly difficult to stomach because it involves an on duty police officer – someone who should know better," said DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin in a statement issued to the media.

Rodriguez's next court appearance is scheduled for July 27 for sentencing and sex offender evaluation. While Rodriguez's offenses are probational, he faces up to five years in jail.