Prosecutors were not ready to proceed with a case involving a former Glenwood firefighter who was charged with the misdemeanor of unauthorized video recording, according to court records.
Prosecutors dismissed the charges recently, with leave to reinstate, when the defense answered ready for trial at the Cook County Courthouse in Markham.
Phillip Werner worked for the Glenwood Fire Department until March when he was arrested and charged with unauthorized video recording. He had been on leave since January while police investigated allegations he placed a camera in a “restroom, locker room” with the intent of filming someone without their consent, according to court records and a firefighter who worked with the department during that time.
Dillon Prim, a firefighter until he resigned in April, told the Daily Southtown his fiance, who also worked in the Fire Department, received harassing messages from Werner.
Prim said Christina Pelc was asked during her annual performance meeting about rumors a camera had been placed in the women’s locker room. She confirmed to Glenwood fire Chief Kevin Welsh Sr. she had seen a camera and said she had also received harassing texts from Werner, Prim said.
One of these texts provided by Prim appears to show Werner sending Pelc a link to a site that sells items used for sexual activities. A similar text from Werner, obtained by the paper through a records request, shows similar texts sent from his phone, though it is not clear the recipient.
Werner’s lawyer, Welsh and village attorneys did not respond to requests for comment on the dismissal of the misdemeanor charge.
hsanders@chicagotribune.com
