JOLIET, Illinois – The head of Will County’s juvenile jail abruptly resigned Tuesday citing personal problems.

But official sources – who did not want to be identified – say Mark Kassel quit after authorities discovered he is involved in an Internet porn site for foot fetishists, www.ohmyhose.com .

Kassel gave his letter of resignation to Will County Chief Judge Stephen White, the official in charge of the River Valley Justice Center, 3206 W. McDonough St., the facility housing the jail.

Before Kassel resigned, he met Tuesday with White and Mike Costigan, head of the county’s probation department. White set up the meeting.

“Someone brought to my attention that (Kassel might have) some personal problems that potentially could affect the operation of the juvenile detention center,” White said Thursday. The judge would not specifically discuss their conversation.

“I think (Kassel) resigned because he did not want anything to affect the operation of the juvenile detention center,” White said.

No criminal charges have been filed against Kassel. Officials say that the people depicted in the photographs are adults and there is nothing illegal about www.ohmyhose.com .

Other local officials had more to say about Kassel’s resignation.

Kassel and his wife are involved with a Web site that features sexually explicit photographs of adult women, the sources said. Kassel’s wife, Michelle, was in some of the photographs, but as of Thursday, those shots had been removed from the site. The tipster who alerted authorities to the site apparently recognized Michelle Kassel in the photographs. Another independent source also identified her after seeing the photographs, the officials said.

Most of the pornographic photos look as if they were taken in private homes. Many of them feature women wearing seamed stockings, pantyhose or high-heeled shoes. Others focus on the women’s feet and carefully painted toenails. Some of the women wore clothing or lingerie. Others didn’t.

The Web site lists a “custodian of all records required to be kept by federal law.” That is Ed Kassel, 2405 Essington St., No. 128, the address of a Mailboxes and Parcel Depot store. Kassel’s middle name is Edwin, according to records maintained by Will County Circuit Clerk Pam McGuire.

After Kassel resigned, a police officer removed his computer from his office at the River Valley Justice Center.

Kassel, 39, was at home on Joliet’s West Side early Thursday afternoon. He came to the door and was friendly but did not want to talk about his resignation. Joe Bugos, his lawyer, had told him not to discuss the issue, Kassel said.

“At this point, my agreement is to resign with the judge. I did so voluntarily,” Kassel said, standing just inside his home. He also would not talk about any possible involvement with the Internet site.

“I have no comment,” he said.

Bugos is a DuPage County defense lawyer.

Kassel has a long history with the county. In January 1992, he was hired as a mental health counselor for a yearly salary of $21,624. In April 2003, he transferred to the River Valley Justice Center and a salary of $77,875.

As head of the juvenile jail, Kassel oversaw as many as 102 children at one time. As of Thursday morning, 75 children were being held there: 17 females and 58 males, White said. By law, children as young as 10 and as old as 17 can be held there. But the facility typically houses 11- to 16-year-olds.

State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow said in general it’s not illegal to operate or be involved with an Internet porn site.”But you can’t hold a sensitive job supervising juveniles and have one of these (sites),” he said. “These two just cannot go together.”

Running a juvenile jail, like many other jobs in government, is a position of trust, Glasgow added.

“It’s critical there not be an erosion of that trust,” he said.

Glasgow wouldn’t comment specifically on the Kassel situation. But he said his office takes any hint of impropriety seriously.

“We will always make sure there is no illegal use of government authority or property,” he said.

County Board Chairman Jim Moustis, R-Frankfort, echoed Glasgow’s comments.

“It raises concerns that the people who would direct such a (juvenile) facility would be involved in that type of activity,” Moustis said.

Moustis said to his knowledge Kassel was not using county equipment for his private endeavor.

“When it was discovered that he was involved, possibly, in such activities and when he was confronted, he immediately resigned. Once a person leaves your employment, I don’t think there’s a whole lot you can do,” Moustis said.

Kassel had the highest credentials when he was appointed as superintendent, Moustis added.

“It’s unfortunate it happened.”

County Board member Ann Dralle, who chairs the judicial committee, supported Kassel’s appointment as superintendent. She worked with him to set up an evening reporting center for troubled teens while he was still at the health department.

“My dealings with Dr. Kassel have always been extremely professional,” she said. “He was very well versed in juvenile issues.”

Kassel had worked as a sex offender and domestic violence counselor at the health department. He also was the youth services coordinator.

Dralle was surprised to hear that Kassel had resigned and that sources have said he was involved with Internet porn.

“I find it hard to believe that Dr. Kassel would do anything to harm his family or his professional reputation,” she said.

A health department employee, who did not want to be identified, said Kassel was ambitious when he worked for the health department. There were never any questions about Kassel’s personal character, however, the employee said.

“He was a stand-up guy.”

This is the second time in three years that the head of the juvenile jail has left suddenly.

Kassel’s predecessor, Laura Simpson (formerly Munch), was fired in November 2002 after being accused of paying a staff psychologist $65,000 a year for working only a few hours a week. But charges relating to that accusation never have been filed against her.

In 2003, Simpson was indicted on charges of eavesdropping and official misconduct. Those charges were later dismissed in court.

Simpson is now suing the county in federal court. Her lawsuit alleges that she was fired after asking to take time off from work under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. That case is still pending.

When White appointed Kassel to replace Simpson, the chief judge said Kassel was the perfect leader to rehabilitate the facility.

“He meets every qualification we could want,” White said at the time.