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Wis. church official charged with possessing child porn

Posted November 17, 2011 11:00 pm

Associated Press

WAUKESHA, Wis. — A Lutheran synod official is charged in Waukesha County with downloading hundreds of images of child pornography from the Internet.

A criminal complaint says 52-year-old Joel Hockmuth told investigators that he has been struggling with an addiction to viewing child pornography. Hockmuth has been suspended as communications director for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, known as WELS.

Hockmuth appeared in Waukesha County Circuit Court Thursday on three counts of possession of child pornography. He’s being held on $20,000 bail.

WELS President Mark Schroeder says he’s “shocked and devastated” by the accusations. The Journal Sentinel says Hockmuth was arrested earlier this week after investigators searched his home and his WELS office in Wauwatosa.

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