Former Plainfield School District 202 teacher charged with grooming, soliciting minor

A former teacher in Plainfield School District 202 appeared in court Monday for serious child sex abuse allegations.

Alex Buetikofer, 38, previously worked as a gym and health teacher in the Plainfield school district. He was arrested by Joliet police over the weekend and booked into the Kendall County Jail early Saturday morning. He lives in Lisle.

Buetikofer is charged with multiple felonies, including four counts of solicitation of a minor. He was also charged with grooming, traveling to meet a minor, and aggravated battery.

At a news conference Monday, Joliet police Chief Bill Evans said Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 contacted police about a concerning situation involving Bueitkofer, a physical education and health teacher at Aux Sable Middle School. Aux Sable Middle School is part of the Plainfield district, but located on the far west side of Joliet, Evans said.

Police were first notified of Bueitkofer's alleged conduct on March 13.

At issue were concerns about Buetikofer's conduct toward multiple female students — including inappropriate after-class interactions, requests for personal contact information, and communications that "raised significant concerns about professional boundaries."

In one incident, Evans said, Buetikofer was alleged to have made nonsexual conduct with a student after class dismissal that made the student uncomfortable, Evans said. Students recognized the behavior as inappropriate and reported Buetikofer's alleged conduct to staff, who in turn escalated the case to administrators, Evans said.

Upon learning of the allegations, Joliet police began a criminal investigation, and learned that Buetikofer had allegedly tried several times to establish out-of-school relationships with female students by requesting their phone numbers and social media accounts, Evans said.

Having learned that, detectives set up a sting, Evans said. They conducted an undercover conversation with Buetikofer for 11 days this month in which they pretended to be a 14-year-old female student.

Buetikofer continued information with the person he thought was a current female student at the school, and the conversations became increasingly sexual and highly inappropriate in nature, Evans said. Buetikofer tried repeatedly to move the conversation to a different platform, requested images, and worked to arrange private, in-person meetings. The civil no-contact order was no longer in place at the time of the undercover operation.

On Friday, April 17, police obtained a warrant for Buetikofer's arrest, Evans said. That evening, Buetikofer arranged to meet with what he thought would be a 14-year-old girl at a McDonald's in Yorkville, Evans said.

Leading up to the meeting, Buetikofer expressed interest in engaging in sexual activity with the girl in a car in the parking lot, Evans said.

Just before 8 p.m., Joliet and Yorkville police officers and detectives saw Buetikofer arrive at the McDonald's in a rental car. He went in and purchased food as had been discussed in the texts he thought were with a 14-year-old girl, Evans said.

After leaving the McDonald's, Buetikofer was arrested following a brief struggle with officers, Evans said.

Officers found several items in plain view in the car Buetikofer had rented, including alcohol, and what appeared to be a sex toy in the front passenger seat, Evans said. A blanket was also put up to cover the car windows, Evans said.

Evans emphasized that students, school officials, and police all cooperated to hold Buetikofer accountable. At a news conference with Evans on Monday, District 202 Supt. Dr. Glenn Wood acknowledged the courage of the students who came forward.

"The victims and families who came forward showed extraordinary bravery," Wood said. "Their willingness to share what they knew, and to cooperate with law enforcement and district officials, was essential to protecting students and ensuring accountability."

There had already been a resolution to fire Buetikofer on March 25, Wood said.

One parent said his son recently graduated from Aux Sable. His youngest son is going there next.

"Horrific, literally horrific for any parent to go through that," said Don Fisk. "You never imagine being in an upstanding neighborhood of such a thing as that."

Buetikofer will remain in custody for at least another few weeks after lawyers on both sides agreed to keep him detained before his hearing. The judge seemed surprised by what she called a "voluntary detainment."

At his Monday morning hearing in Kendall County Court, the judge referenced evidence, including surveillance video from a school cafeteria and a text message exchange. She said keeping him in custody is best to "ensure the safety of the community." She also ordered Buetikofer to have no contact with the alleged minor victims and no contact with any children at the school where he previously worked.

Hinsdale Central High School said in a letter to parents that Buetikofer had also been an assistant boys' lacrosse coach there and was fired after the school learned of the allegations of improper conduct in a different district.

No students from Hinsdale Township High School District 86 were known to have been the victims of Buetikofer's alleged abuse, the letter said.

CBS News Chicago is working to confirm reports that Buetikofer also worked at a school in Berwyn. Detectives said they're still investigating, and more charges are possible in the future.