Trinity Christian School Teacher Sent ‘Inappropriate’ Texts to 13-Year-Old Girl: Cops

SHOREWOOD, IL — A Trinity Christian School science teacher who was arrested and jailed Friday afternoon had sent inappropriate texts to a 13-year-old girl, police said.

The teenage girl’s parents alerted the law to the texts less than a week ago, said Shorewood Deputy Police Chief Jason Barten. The parents learned of the texts from the parents of one of their daughter’s friends, Barten said.

The texts, police said, were sent to the teen by 51-year-old Lemuel Elechicon, who in addition to teaching science is also a sixth-grade sponsor at the Shorewood school, according to Trinity Christian’s website.

Barten declined to answer when asked if the 13-year-old girl was one of Elechicon’s students at Trinity Christian School. The school is under the jurisdiction of the Shorewood Police Department. Elechicon’s Crest Hill home is not. Elechicon’s church, Ridgewood Baptist in Joliet, where he said on his Educator Pages page that he is “currently involved in the junior high school and high school youth group” also does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Shorewood police.

Elechicon’s texts to the teen date back to January, Barten said. The girl provided her cell phone to the police, he said, and officers found the text messages.

The teen also “acknowledged some inappropriate contact” with Elechicon, Barten said.

Elechicon’s teacher web page said he was born in the Philippines and came to America with his family when he was in the sixth grade.

“By faith, Christ saved me from my sins when I was in high school,” Elechicon said on his page.

Elechicon’s page says he attended Bible school in Iowa, that he has worked in “Christian school ministry” for 26 years, and is in his 12th year at Trinity Christian School.

On his teacher web page, Elechicon says he teaches creation through “Biblical glasses” as part of his science course.

“You will learn a solid creation-based worldview and that, contrary to popular belief, operational science runs counter to the idea of evolution and ‘millions of years,’” Elechicon says of his creationism curriculum. “The facts of nature, rightly interpreted, provide an irrefutable case for the accuracy and trustworthiness of the book that claims to be the inspired word of the Creator Himself!”

Calls made to Trinity Christian School for comment on Elechicon’s arrest were not returned Friday.

Elechicon faces a single charge of grooming. He remains in custody at the Will County jail and was scheduled to appear in court Saturday morning.

Lemuel Elechicon | image via Will County Sheriff's Department