Chicago High School Teacher Thomas Neal Charged with Transporting Child Pornography on Flight to Mexico

A 42-year-old Chicago man who teaches at a north suburban Illinois high school was charged Friday with transporting child pornography after Mexican border authorities discovered illicit images on his phone during a June 17 flight from O'Hare International Airport to Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport.

What Happened

According to a federal criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Thomas Neal possessed images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone when he boarded a flight out of O'Hare. Upon landing in Mexico City, Neal was selected for secondary screening by Mexican border authorities, who observed images on his phone that amounted to child pornography.

Mexican authorities then secured Neal's phone along with his checked luggage — which included two laptops and six electronic storage devices — and placed him on a flight to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. There, Homeland Security Investigations agents conducted a thorough search of Neal's belongings and uncovered several hundred files that federal investigators said constituted child pornography.

School District Responds

Neal is employed as a teacher at Niles Township High School District 219, which confirmed Friday that the employee has been placed on suspension. The district said it is consulting with legal counsel and cooperating fully with authorities throughout the active federal investigation.

"D219 takes seriously any complaint or allegation against an employee, and we will continue to work with authorities to ensure appropriate actions are taken to keep our school community safe," a district spokesperson said.

Charges and Custody

Neal faces one federal count of transportation of child pornography, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a maximum of 20 years upon conviction. He remained in federal custody as of Friday, with a detention hearing scheduled for Monday in Chicago.

Outlook

The case highlights the role international border screening can play in surfacing serious domestic crimes. As the investigation remains active, the Niles Township school community faces difficult questions about student safety and institutional trust. Neal's detention hearing Monday will be a key early indicator of how the federal case proceeds.