A 47-year-old Manitowoc resident, Steven J. Wester, has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of possession of child pornography following a police investigation. The charges stem from the discovery of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse on electronic devices seized from his home.
According to court records, Wester faces four counts of possession of child pornography, a felony carrying a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Authorities initiated the investigation after receiving a tip from the Wisconsin Department of Justice indicating the presence of child sexual abuse materials at Wester's residence.
A search warrant was executed on December 11 after investigators confirmed a file uploaded by Wester to an internet search engine contained child sexual abuse material. Subsequently, law enforcement seized numerous electronic devices, which upon forensic analysis, were found to contain numerous other similar images and videos of children, police report.
Wester was taken into custody on suspicion of possession of child pornography. He was released on a $5,000 cash bond and is currently restricted from contacting individuals under 18 or possessing internet-enabled devices unless supervised for work purposes. An initial court appearance is scheduled for December 30.
The Manitowoc Police Department has stated that the investigation remains ongoing, and they have not released any further details. Their aim in releasing this information is to identify any potential victims as it has been discovered that Wester was previously involved in youth sports and investigated for similar behavior.
Anyone with pertinent information is encouraged to contact the Manitowoc Police Department. They can contact Detective Jason Denk at 920-686-6557, the shift commander at 920-686-6551, or Crime Stoppers at 920-683-4466, referencing case number 2024-00015320. Tips can also be submitted anonymously using the P3 app.
