Ex-PTO President Gets Max Sentence In Grooming Case

ST. CHARLES, IL — A former president of the Thompson Middle School parent teacher organization has been handed down the maximum sentence for grooming a child and soliciting a sex act from the minor, prosecutors said.

Edward T. Izenstark, 38, of St. Charles, has been sentenced to five years in prison following his conviction on charges of indecent solicitation of a child, traveling to meet a minor, grooming and solicitation of a sexual act, according to a Kane County State's Attorney's Office news release.

The charges stem from a 2023 investigation into Izenstark. Authorities say Izenstark drove from his home in St. Charles at about 10:20 p.m. on August 12, 2023, to Epic Air Trampoline Park in South Elgin "to perform sexual acts on a juvenile in exchange for money."

Nicholas Jenz, public information officer for the Kane County State's Attorney's Office, said Izenstark offered to pay the child to have sex with him. When he got to the parking lot of the business, the child called 911, according to a news release from the state's attorney's office.

Izenstark, who was the PTO president at Thompson Middle School, began communicating with the child about a month before they were scheduled to meet, prosecutors said. They stayed in touch via FaceTime, phone calls and text messages.

Jens said the two met on an app, but was not sure of which one. From there they started chatting on Instagram and then via text, he said.

In addition to his prison sentence, Izenstark must register for 10 years as a sexual offender, prosecutors said.