Wels Staffer Charged with Several Counts of Possessing Child Porn, WISN, November 17, 2011

Wels Staffer Charged with Several Counts of Possessing Child Porn

WISN
November 17, 2011

http://www.wisn.com/r/29790392/detail.html

[with video]

WAUKESHA, Wis. -- A Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod employee was charged Wednesday with three counts of possession of child pornography.

Investigators said the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force provided them with evidence that child pornography was distributed from a home in the 1900 block of Hunter Court. Police searched the home and arrested Joel Hochmuth after they found numerous images of child pornography, according to a police report.

Hochmuth, 52, is the director of communications for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. He was arrested Tuesday.

According to the criminal complaint, Hochmuth admitted to officer that he had been struggling with an addiction to viewing pornographic photos and videos of young boys in sexually explicit poses.

He denied ever creating pornography but said he collected images over the Internet, the criminal complaint says.

Officers also found a thumb drive full of pornographic images and videos at Hochmuth's Wauwatosa office, according to the criminal complaint.

"Complete shock and devastation. Not just for me, but for everybody here who knew Joel and has worked with him for six years," WELS President Mark Schroeder said.

The president told 12 News reporter Terry Sater on Wednesday that Hochmuth was a good employee and was well liked

Hochmuth was not charged with distribution, but prosecutor Jennifer Lough said Hochmuth shared child pornography via the Internet with an undercover FBI agent.

"Two individuals can use a computer software program to access one another's computers and therefore share each other's files that they have on those computers," Lough said.

Former Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher is Hochmuth's defense attorney:

"He's indicated in the complaint that he's had some adult pornography issues, and we want to deal with those issues for an addiction issue, and I want to get him into counseling," Bucher said.

The court set Hochmuth's bail at $20,000. He's expected to be out of jail by the weekend, and his attorney said he'll try to get him into counseling right away.

The WELS is the third largest Lutheran church body in the United States with 390,000 members. The national headquarters are in Wauwatosa, where more than 100 people work.

SNAP Response

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests released a statement on this case.

If the charges against Hochmuth turn out to be credible, it is import to know what steps the synod president is going to implement to protect children. (The synod president) should immediately notify the congregations of the Synod of the charges that have been made against Hochmuth," SNAP said.