MARION, IL — John “Jake” Wakey, a Carterville High School assistant football coach and teacher, was arrested Thursday in Pontiac, Illinois, as part of an ongoing criminal sexual abuse case. Court records show he faces nine Class 2 felony counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving victims ages 13 to 17, with allegations tied to a person in a position of trust.
Wakey was being held at the Livingston County Jail. The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office planned a Friday press conference to share more details, and the Carterville Board of Education scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday to consider discipline or dismissal of a licensed district employee.
How the case advanced
The arrest came less than three months after Williamson County investigators said they opened a criminal sexual abuse probe into an unnamed Carterville school district employee. The case traces back nearly 18 months to a November 2024 FBI tip about possible abuse involving former students and a Carterville High School employee.
Federal agents later referred the matter to local authorities because the FBI said it did not have jurisdiction to pursue it at that time. Sheriff Jeff Diederich had said the matter stayed largely inactive for about 15 months because investigators did not yet have enough evidence or sworn statements to move ahead.
District response and records
The Carterville school district placed Wakey on paid administrative leave after the sheriff’s office notified officials on Feb. 20 that an investigation had begun. After subpoenas were served, Capitol News Illinois and Saluki Reporting Lab students identified Wakey as the focus of the inquiry.
Those subpoenas sought employment, personnel and disciplinary records, along with academic records for 17 former students whose names were redacted by the district. The Illinois State Board of Education also issued a subpoena as part of what it described as a licensure investigation.
Earlier discipline in district
Wakey has worked for Carterville schools since 2003 as a teacher and assistant football coach. Records previously obtained by reporters show he was suspended for 10 days without pay in 2009 after the district accused him of texting students inappropriately, allowing students to spend late nights at his home without other adults present, and drinking in front of students before driving to a football game.
Those records also show he began working for the district days after completing court supervision for a misdemeanor conviction in Coles County for providing liquor to minors in 2003. He was not charged with any crimes at the time of the 2009 suspension.
Questions from families
Parents and community members have pressed for answers about why the case took so long to surface, how earlier warnings were handled, and what information has been shared since the investigation became public. District officials have said anonymous tips were not enough to justify an internal investigation or a child welfare report before February.
Officials said they moved quickly after law enforcement said a former student had provided a formal statement. Since then, the district has said it is reviewing conduct policies, adding training on appropriate communication with students, and barring personal technology for school-related messages.
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