MONROE — A Monroe man is facing 11 felony child pornography charges in Green County Circuit Court, following a tip to local police from a national hotline and a subsequent local investigation and search.

Joseph D. Wright, 42, is charged with a single count of felony child exploitation, and 10 felony counts of possession of child pornography. Wright was scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on the charges December 3, before Circuit Judge Faun M. Phillipson.

According to court records, the arrest and charges were the culmination of a probe that began via a tip from Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations, through the Internet Crimes Against Children investigations data site; and received through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Once the tip and related information was downloaded, a subpoena was issued for the suspects’ Monroe home, and numerous electronic devices were seized by investigators here, including four laptops, a tablet; and a PlayStation console.

Forensic software and investigation revealed that the devices contained both video and still images of “pre-pubescent” female victims in various sexual poses and acts, later deemed to constitute child pornography under the law. Detectives also accessed several of the defendants’ phones, along with related social media accounts.

“It shall be known, that (the) Instagram account was identified in the initial Cyber tip (as) containing Child Sexual Abuse Material …,” said the criminal complaint.

If convicted of a single count of possession of child pornography, the defendant would face a maximum potential prison sentence of 25 years. Felony sexual exploitation of a child carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison for each count upon conviction.

Bond for Wright was set at $25,000 on October 15. He remained in Green County Jail as of the newspaper’s Thursday deadline.

Upon conviction, Wright would be required to register as a sex offender for life.