Wisconsin Department of Justice Agents Partner with Federal Agents and the Dane County Sheriff's Office in Internet Crimes Against Children Operation

Edward J. Wesser, of Madison, Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Child

MADISON — On Thursday, May 24, 2012, Special Agents from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Dane County Sheriff's Office, executed a search warrant at the residence of Edward J. Wesser, located at 2438 Old Camden Square in Madison.

According to the criminal complaint, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded a CyberTipline report on November 17, 2009, to the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The CyberTipline report included information about a screen name and email address associated with the posting of images online that allegedly contained child pornography.

According to the complaint, an examination of documents from the suspect's account, obtained by warrant from the electronic service provider Yahoo, showed emails with images consistent with child pornography or child erotica. In the complaint, a City of Boise, Idaho, detective, working undercover, reported receiving a file on May 23, 2011, from the suspect's email account that contained a six minute video of children in sexually explicit activities.

On May 24, 2012, DCI special agents executed a search warrant at Wesser's home, at which time, according to the complaint, Wesser admitted to downloading child pornography and to sending it by email and Yahoo! messenger. Wesser has been charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Child, a felony. A status conference is scheduled for July 2, 2012, at 1:30 p.m.

The Dane County Sheriff's Office is an affiliate of Wisconsin's ICAC Task Force. Questions concerning this case should be directed to the Dane County District Attorney's Office. A defendant enjoys the presumption of innocence. The prosecution must prove its allegations at trial beyond a reasonable doubt.