The District of Columbia has imposed an interim suspension of an attorney based on an interim suspension imposed in Illinois.
The McHenry County Blog covered the related criminal case
James T. Zeas, who practices in Crystal Lake and lives in Lake Barrington ended up being taken into custody after McHenry County Judge James Feeterer found him guilty of child pornography.
He filmed a teenage girl which [sic] she was changing into her swimming suit.
You can read Chicago Tribune reporter Amanda Marrazzo’s story here.
Here is the press release from the State’s Attorney’s Office:
JAIME “JAMES” ZEAS FOUND GUILTY OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AFTER BENCH TRIAL
Patrick D. Kenneally, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that James Zeas, 48, was found guilty of Child Pornography after a bench trial heard by the Honorable Michael Feeterer.
The evidence introduced at trial showed that in June of 2009, Zeas took three children to Lifetime Fitness in Algonquin, Illinois to go swimming. Zeas then secretly placed a video camera in the family bathroom and recorded a young teenage girl changing out of her swimsuit.
Zeas kept the video on his computer where it was discovered a few years later.
Zeas will be sentenced on March 29, 2017 at 1:30 p.m.
This case was investigated by the Algonquin Police Department and was prosecuted by Kate Lenhard and Sharyl Eisenstein of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The Chicago Tribune also reported on the sentence.
A former Crystal Lake attorney apologized Wednesday before he was sentenced to four years in prison for secretly recording a 14-year-old girl in a bathroom of an Algonquin health club while she was changing her clothes.
“I profusely apologize to anyone I hurt,” said James T. Zeas, who was found guilty by McHenry County Judge Michael Feetterer in February of one count of felony child pornography. “This is not who I am, and this is not who I want to be.”
Zeas, who wept after learning his sentence, also will have to register as a sex offender for life.
The Lake Barrington resident was accused of hiding a camera in a changing area of the gym in 2009 to film the teen girl as she put on her bathing suit. Prosecutors said that Zeas is seen on the video readjusting the camera’s angle, and that he then took additional footage of the girl after realizing he didn’t catch her in full view the first time.
The footage was turned over to authorities in 2015 during the couple’s divorce, authorities said.
In court Wednesday, Assistant State’s Attorney Sharyl Eisenstein asked that Zeas receive seven years in prison.
She likened him to a peeping Tom, said he took away the girl’s “innocence and privacy” and called his acts a “complete violation.”
Zeas’ attorney Barry Lewis said his client is remorseful, has no criminal record, is a value to society and wants to be free to care for his children and elderly parents.
He said the girl did not know what was happening and therefore has not been victimized by what Zeas did.
Zeas has “had a lifetime of good behavior, in general,” Lewis said. “This act harms no one. The victim didn’t know anything.”
Lewis asserted that the there was “no hint of sex” in the video and that, because Zeas lost his wife and his career, he has been punished enough.
“He is a highly educated, good person, good father,” Lewis said.
State records show Zeas’ license to practice law has been suspended indefinitely.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Sharon Prather noted Zeas’ lack of a criminal history but said his crime was “very premeditated (and) despicable.”
It was “a total invasion of privacy of a young lady,” Prather said. Referring to the defense’s argument that the girl did not know the video was being filmed, the judge said: “She knows now and is probably psychologically damaged.”
Zeas must serve 50 percent of his sentence and will receive credit for time served in jail since his February conviction.
(Mike Frisch)