DARLINGTON — Justin J. Kohl, 36, of Shullsburg, charged with 7 felony counts of possession of child pornography for allegedly downloading illegal images, has been found guilty on all counts against him in an apparent plea deal with prosecutors.

Kohl pleaded no contest to seven counts of felony possession of child pornography during a hearing August 29 before Circuit Judge Faun M. Phillipson, according to court records. Sentencing for Kohl, who remains free on a $5,000 signature bond pending the outcome of his case, is set for Nov. 20.

Police were initially tipped off to Kohl by a national child advocacy group, the National Center for Missing and Endangered Children, which runs a cyber tip line, according to the criminal complaint against Kohl.

Kohl downloaded images between 2021 to 2023. Those involve child and teen victims in various sexual poses, according to the complaint. Some of the victims even appeared to be scared or crying, according to investigators in the case.

A staffer at District Attorney Morgan Jo Hanning’s office declined to comment Thursday when asked about the range of prison time the state may be seeking in the case, adding that it is their policy not to discuss such matters publicly prior to presenting their proposal to a judge.

If convicted by a jury, each count of possession of child pornography in Wisconsin carries a potential prison term of up to three years. Fines for each count can top out at a maximum of $100,000 for each count.