A Crown Point studio art teacher is accused of groping a 14-year-old girl.
Thomas Liubakka, 67, of Crown Point, is charged with two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor.
He posted a $3,000 cash bond on Nov. 26. His next court date is Dec. 10.
“We are deeply saddened by these accusations, and are eager to prove Mr. Liubakka’s innocence in court,” his lawyer Ferdinand Alvarez said in an email. “He remains, like every other individual facing charges in this State and country, absolutely innocent until proven guilty.”
The girl told a teacher at school, which called her mother, charges state.
The victim and her mother told police on Sept. 11, 2025 that when she signed up for a second year of classes in fall 2024 at Liubakka Studio, located at 225 S. Main St., in Crown Point, she was the only student in the class. The studio was housed in a church basement.
When she thought it was strange, Liubakka said the other students were still on summer or fall break. He declined the mother’s request to put the girl in another class, saying they were full.
During a Nov. 7 class, he took the victim upstairs to a computer lab that he said he planned to develop for his studio.
Liubakka locked the door, pushed her against a desk and touched her buttocks and hips. He touched her chest just before they left, documents state.
The girl “felt like she blacked out,” according to the affidavit.
Afterward, he acted like nothing had happened, charges allege. His assistant was not a work that day, the girl noted.
In retrospect, the girl alleged he was “creepy” and stared at her in class in a way that had nothing to do with her artwork. She felt he was testing boundaries and using “grooming” techniques.
She thought he was “safe” because he worked “with kids,” according to the affidavit.
The victim said she didn’t tell anyone for a year. At some point, she removed him from her Instagram page. Afterward, he repeatedly tried to follow her again.
In a police interview, he denied the allegations. When a detective asked if he would do a “voice stress analysis test,” Liubakka said he wanted to talk to a lawyer.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/01/crown-point-art-teacher-groped-teen-charges/
