We have previously posted about the serious consequences someone faces when charged with a computer sex crime. Offenses such as possession of child pornography are especially serious because they involve minors. Police and investigators are always searching the internet and setting up sting operations to catch those who might attempt sex crimes against minors.
This was the case recently with a Wisconsin man who now faces 5 counts of possession of child pornography. This case is especially high-profile because the man is the superintendent of a school district in eastern Wisconsin.
According to the police report, the man was arrested in Milwaukee where he was attending a school-related seminar. During that time, he allegedly responded to an ad on craigslist.com which appeared to be for sexual services.
Police say that the man chatted online with a police officer who was posing as a 15-year-old boy. The criminal complaint alleges that the man was intending to meet with the 15-year-old for a sexual encounter. Instead, he was arrested.
After his arrest, a search of the man’s personal computer and his work computer allegedly revealed nude pictures of minors. He now faces 5 charges of possession of child pornography, as well as a felony charge of using a computer to commit a sex crime against a minor.
Cases like this are taken seriously by both police and the court system. If convicted, the man likely faces 25 to 75 years in prison, as well as thousands of dollars in fines.
In this particular case, there is likely to be strong public sentiment against the accused man because of the fact that his job allows him access to children. Whenever teachers or school administrators are charged with sex crimes against children, the accusations alone can be enough to ruin lives, even if they are found to be false.
Anyone accused of possession of child pornography or other sex crimes will need a strong and competent criminal defense attorney. Police take these crimes seriously, and they work tirelessly to patrol the internet in search of offenders.
Source: The Sheboygan Press online, “New Holstein administrator charged with 5 counts of child porn,” Eric Litke, 11 February 2011