A longtime middle school teacher pleads guilty to possession of child pornography.
Dance and gym teacher Joseph Gauthier had been a fixture at the Lincoln Center of the Arts since 1994 and boasted in his school profile, “I know everything there is to know about Michael Jackson and The Wizard of Oz.”
VIDEO: Former MPS teacher pleads guilty to downloading child porn
Police said Gauthier’s job was to supervise the boys in the locker room, where his office was located. WISN 12 News obtained a search warrant that allowed police to search the electronics equipment in his school office.
WISN 12 News investigative reporter Colleen Henry found Gauthier at his Bay View home Tuesday afternoon, but he wasn’t talking.
The Department of Homeland Security raided his home in December and found child pornography involving young boys and toddlers on his home computer.
Neighbor Mark Krowski saw the federal agents.“They came, and they surrounded the house,” he said.
But until Tuesday, no one would tell Krowski what was going on.
“A sheriff came through and was taking pictures, and I asked what it was, and he told me it was a private matter, and it was none of my business,” Krowski said. “(It was) very troubling, very upsetting to know that’s in your neighborhood, and no one’s alerting you.”
There is no indication Gauthier was making child pornography. He is free on GPS monitoring until he’s sentenced. He’s facing 75 years in prison.
If they find more images on his computer at school he could face additional charges.
Source: Former MPS teacher pleads guilty to downloading child porn