Friday, September 18, 2026
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Racine man accused of possession of bestiality, child pornography
Milana Doné
RACINE — A 36-year-old Racine man was charged Thursday in connection to obscene electronic material allegedly found in his possession.
Justin Erhardt faces two counts of possession of bestiality and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to the Racine County Sheriff's Office, an investigator with the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating that a person in the City of Racine had uploaded child sexual abuse material to a Snapchat account.
The account reportedly contained one video depicting child sexual abuse material and two videos depicting bestiality, according to an RCSO news release.
Investigators contacted Erhardt, who reportedly admitted that the Snapchat account belonged to him, and he was taken into custody Tuesday.
During a search of Erhardt's residence on the 400 block of Haven Avenue, RCSO seized several electronic devices.
Erhardt initially appeared in court Thursday and his cash bond was set at $2,500.
He is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing July 16.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Racine man pleads no contest to three counts in child pornography possession case
Milana Doné
RACINE — A 22-year-old Racine man pleaded no contest Tuesday in connection to nearly a dozen charges of possession of child pornography.
Ciquil Mangum originally faced 11 counts, to which he pleaded not guilty in March 2025.
On Tuesday, Mangum entered a plea of no contest to three of the counts. The remaining charges were dismissed but read into the court record.
Mangum was charged in February 2025 following a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
He is scheduled for a sentencing hearing June 23.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Sextortion, booming in Wisconsin, is exploding across North America
Natalie Eilbert
Less than 50 days into 2026, Wisconsin has already been tipped off to 111 sextortion cases happening across the state – more than two incidents per day.
That number is a reflection of why sextortion is the fastest-growing cybercrime targeting children in North America.
It's also especially disturbing, said Jesse Crowe, a special agent at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, because it continues the steep year-over-year climb of reported cases in Wisconsin. Crowe also cautioned that the number of cases could be much higher, given the numbers reflect tips pulled from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline, and don't include cases from law enforcement.
According to Crowe, there were more than 170 reported Wisconsin cases in 2023, the first year state agencies started tracking for this specific crime. In 2024, it climbed to a little more than 230 reported cases. Then, in 2025, Wisconsin tallied 650 reported sextortion crimes. At the current rate, 2026 is on pace to approach 850 cases in Wisconsin.
In other words, cases in Wisconsin have quadrupled over a three-year period and have led to two known suicides: Landon Weigelt, 17, of Oconto, and Braydon Bohn, 15, of Kronenwetter, outside of Wausau.
Bohn's death on March 5, 2025, prompted lawmakers to fast-track a bill recognizing sextortion as a crime, with felony murder charges against any cases ending in suicide. That law, Crowe said, has made it possible to prosecute people for any sextortion case that causes death. Bohn's parents tirelessly advocated for the passage of the bill.
Sextortion is a form of child sexual exploitation that involves threatening or blackmailing children, often after tricking them into sending them nude or sexual images, although images don't necessarily need to be sent. The scammers threaten to go public with their photos if they don't comply with their demands, which sometimes involve money, sexual activities or sending additional sexual content.
"There's a lot of victim blaming and shaming out there. One of the huge messages we try and get out there is that it is not these children's fault. It's not the parents fault either," said Crowe, commander of the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children task force. "They are victims of crimes. They have been tricked into doing something against their will."
Why are the numbers rising so quickly?
Part of the steep rise in sextortion cases has to do with state-led Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces pushing for more public information, Crowe said. By doing outreach and education campaigns on sextortion, that has given more people knowledge of what to be on the lookout for, not to mention access to the CyberTipline.
For the first time, too, online companies are doing more to scan their networks to identify and report suspicious user accounts to the CyberTipline.
But there's also no bottom to the internet. It's a vast network with seemingly endless access points for criminal behaviors. If you're able to connect with anybody, Crowe said, that means anyone, including people who are intent on causing harm.
How do criminals find children to sextort?
Perpetrators send out mass quantities of friend requests to groups they intend on targeting, Crowe said. And once they get someone willing to engage, they build rapport and establish trust.
Once that happens, they'll have the child switch to another platform to continue their conversation, one that is more secure. Sometimes, these platforms use disappearing messages. Sometimes, they have end-to-end encryption, which makes it extremely hard for outside parties to track conversations taking place.
"That's when the actual sextortion starts to happen. They've already built their rapport and a seeming friendship with that potential victim," Crowe said.
Are any apps more common than others for sextorting children?
Crowe said he's seen these crimes take place across all platforms, which is what makes it particularly scary. His task force has seen these crimes take place on popular social media sites, but also blog sites and gaming apps.
Naming one app over another isn't necessarily helpful, Crowe said.
"We want to focus on the actual behavior itself, because we want people to use the internet responsibly," Crowe said.
Are there any patterns to who is committing sextortion crimes?
Many sextortion cases come from international organizations, Crowe said, and both domestic and international suspects have been identified.
Further, "organizations" in some cases is a generous categorization. Sometimes it's just two people in a country colluding on these crimes. Other times, it's a criminal enterprise doing this as a massive money maker.
How can I protect my children or students from being sextorted?
Start the conversation about online safety with your child, and do it early and often, Crowe said. Many children are using tablets at very young ages.
Emphasize the importance of online safety and how to responsibly use technology.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has tip sheets to help parents and guardians explain to children what healthy relationships look like, and also how to identify and report online criminal activities.
If you believe you or someone you know is the victim of sextortion or other forms of child exploitation, report the incident on the CyberTipline. To speak to someone directly, contact 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). The phoneline is available 24/7.
If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text "Hopeline" to the National Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Racine man sentenced in 2024 child pornography case
Milana Doné
RACINE — A 50-year-old Racine man was sentenced Tuesday to six years of incarceration in connection to child pornography charges.
Christopher Marzette was charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography in September 2024. In October 2025, Marzette was found guilty of three of the counts after a no contest plea. The remaining seven counts were dismissed but read into the court record.
He also was ordered to serve eight years of extended supervision.
According to previous Journal Times reports, Marzette was arrested after the Sheriff’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit traced cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to an address in the 1400 block of 10th Street.
Investigators searched the residence Sept. 6, 2024, and reportedly found devices with images of child pornography, as well as two email addresses allegedly associated with Marzette and linked to 91 uploads of child pornography.
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Former Prairie School employee sentenced in child pornography case
Milana Doné
RACINE — A 55-year-old former school employee was sentenced to three years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.
James Broetzmann, who previously worked at the Prairie School, had faced seven counts of possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to one count. The remaining counts were dismissed but read into the court record.
Broetzmann also was ordered to serve three years of extended supervision, and the court imposed a $500 surcharge for the image or copy of the image associated with the crime.
According to previous Journal Times reporting, Mount Pleasant police responded to a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and searched Broetzmann’s house July 23, 2024, reportedly finding multiple devices containing child pornography.
Saturday, November 22, 2025
Burlington man facing bestiality, child pornography, drug charges
Milana Doné
KENOSHA — A Burlington man has been accused of distributing illicit videos through a social media platform.
Jerry Lapenta II, 33, was charged Thursday with one count of child pornography and 10 counts of bestiality by selling/publishing obscene material of sexual contact with animal. He also was charged with one count of possession of cocaine/coca and one count of possessing drug paraphernalia.
The Kenosha County Sheriff's Office received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in September 2024 that someone had distributed illegal and disturbing content in July 2024 through the social media platform Kik.
According to KCSO, investigators were able to determine that the account was linked to Lapenta and he was arrested Wednesday.
Lapenta initially appeared in court Thursday, where his bond was set at $100,000.
He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Nov. 26.
From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_44409e92-b6a1-5f72-8c79-36cd37f9a9c4.html
Friday, October 10, 2025
Racine man sentenced to prison for child porn possession
Milana Doné
RACINE — A Racine man was sentenced to four years in prison Tuesday in connection to child pornography charges.
Dustin Heddings, 37, faced nine counts of child pornography possession.
He pleaded guilty to three counts and the remaining charges were dismissed but read into the court record.exploit
Heddings also was ordered to serve four years of extended supervision.
According to previous Journal Times reporting, investigators connected Heddings to the possession of child sexual abuse material via a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that was received in November 2024.
According to a news release from the RCSO, investigators seized numerous devices on which a computer analyst reportedly found multiple depictions of child sexual abuse material.
Heddings reportedly admitted to downloading and viewing the content.
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Federal investigation into suspended South Carolina magistrate deepens
Sunday, September 21, 2025
Bond deferred after South Carolina judge arrested on child sexual abuse material charges
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
53-year-old sentenced on child porn charges
EACINE — A Racine man was sentenced Monday to four years of prison for child phonography possession.
Michael Oswald, 53, was charged with 17 counts of possession of child pornography, each a class D felony.
He entered a guilty plea July 18. Each count received a sentence of four years of initial incarceration followed by four years of extended supervision, each to be served concurrently.
The remaining counts were dismissed but read into the court record.
According to previous Journal Times reporting, the Racine County Sheriff’s Office searched Oswald’s Gilson Street residence March 27 after receiving a cyber tip from the Division of Criminal Investigation and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
During the search, investigators reportedly found a cell phone containing child pornography images or videos.
Saturday, September 6, 2025
23-year-old sentenced for child pornography possession
Milana Doné
RACINE — A 23-year-old Racine man was sentenced Tuesday in connection to child pornography charges.
Tyler Deavers was ordered to serve three years of incarceration followed by four years of extended supervision.
Deavers originally was charged with four counts of possession of child pornography. He was found guilty of two counts. The two remaining counts were dismissed but read into the court record.
According to a criminal complaint, investigators with the Racine County Sheriff’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit received cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which began the investigation, resulting in Deavers being arrested and charged Feb. 12.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
23-year-old charged with possessing child porn
Caroline Neal
CALEDONIA — A 23-year-old Caledonia man was charged with seven counts of possessing child pornography after Caledonia Police received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The maximum sentence if convicted is a fine of up to $100,000, imprisonment of up to 25 years or both. Further, the court can impose a surcharge of $500 for each image or copy of an image associated with the crime.
Online records reflect that Marcos Donoso’s cash bond was set at $25,000 during a court hearing Thursday. He is scheduled to appear in court June 26.
According to a criminal complaint, CPD began investigating May 5 and identified Donoso as a suspect.
CPD investigators obtained a warrant for Donoso’s Dropbox account and reportedly found images and videos, including those detailed in the cyber tip.
The complaint alleges that Donoso told CPD he owned the account and possessed and viewed child pornography.
Thursday, June 5, 2025
23-year-old charged with possessing child pornography
Holly Gilvary
MOUNT PLEASANT — A 23-year-old Mount Pleasant man was arrested Monday following cyber tips from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children.
Zachary Herzog is charged with 13 counts of possession of child pornography and 29 counts of sexual exploitation of a child – produce, perform, etc. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both, for each count of possession; and up to 40 years in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both, for each count of sexual exploitation.
The court also will impose a surcharge of $500 for each image or each copy of an image associated with the crime. Further, if convicted, the court will impose a bifurcated sentence that includes a term of initial confinement for at least five years.
During an initial court appearance June 3, Racine County Circuit Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch set Herzog's cash bond at $200,000. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing June 11.
Last month, the Racine County Sheriff's Office began an investigation into a Kik account associated with one of Herzog's email addresses, according to the criminal complaint.
RCSO traced the IP address to a home in the 900 block of Langdon Court in Mount Pleasant.
Investigators searched several Kik accounts associated with Herzog's email addresses and reportedly found multiple images and videos of alleged child pornography and evidence that the account holder shared the material with others.
RCSO searched Herzog's residence June 2 and reportedly found 13 videos containing child pornography associated with the Kik accounts and that child pornography had been distributed 32 times over Kik, according to the complaint.
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Thursday, May 29, 2025
Racine man sentenced for possessing child porn
Caroline Neal
RACINE — A Racine man was sentenced Friday to 15 years in Wisconsin State Prison for possessing child pornography.
Dimas De Leon, 37, faced 10 counts of possession of child pornography and pleaded not guilty in November 2024.
On May 23, he accepted an offer from the state and pleaded guilty to three counts, while the remaining seven were dismissed but read into the court’s record.
In addition to 15 years in prison, De Leon will serve 15 years of extended supervision.
De Leon also will be required to register as a sex offender and pay a $5,000 surcharge for possessing child pornography.
According to previous Journal Times reporting, the Racine County Sheriff’s Office began investigating after receiving a tip from the state DOJ’s Division of Criminal Investigation.
In September 2023, Snapchat reported the tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after a user reportedly uploaded an image depicting child pornography.
Investigators reportedly connected the upload to an IP address and email account associated with De Leon, who allegedly was in possession of 44 illegal videos.
Thursday, May 15, 2025
53-year-old enters not guilty plea to more than a dozen child porn charges
RACINE — A 53-year-old Racine man who faces 17 counts of possessing child pornography entered a not guilty plea during a hearing Wednesday.
Michael Oswald originally was charged with 11 counts of possessing child pornography, but additional charges were added in an amended criminal complaint filed May 14.
According to previous Journal Times reporting, the Racine County Sheriff’s Office searched Oswald’s Gilson Street residence March 27 after receiving a cyber tip from the Division of e National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
During the search, investigators reportedly found a cell phone containing child pornography images or videos.
According to online court records, Oswald is scheduled to appear in court June 24.
Saturday, May 10, 2025
71-year-old sentenced in child pornography case
Caroline Neal
RACINE — A 71-year-old Racine man has been sentenced to five years in prison for possessing child pornography.
During a March 4 hearing, Robert Castaneda, who was originally charged with 16 counts of possessing child pornography, accepted a plea offer from the state and pleaded guilty to three of the charges.
The remaining charges were dismissed but read into the court’s record.
For each charge, Castaneda will serve five years in prison and three years of extended supervision. Each sentence will run concurrent to the others.
According to previous Journal Times reporting, the Internet Crimes Against Children unit, which is a division of the Racine County Sheriff’s Office, began investigating in May 2024 after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip consisted of alleged downloads of child sexual assault materials linked to a Racine residence.
On July 22, ICAC investigators and computer analysts from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigations executed a search warrant at the residence.
Investigators reportedly found electronic storage devices with more than 10,000 images and videos of child sexual assault materials.
According to a criminal complaint, Castaneda reportedly admitted to viewing child pornography on his phone and laptop.
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