DARLINGTON — A jury trial has been scheduled for next month in Circuit Court for Justin J. Kohl, 36, of Shullsburg, who is charged with 7 felony counts of possession of child pornography for allegedly downloading illegal images.

As is the case with multiple defendants recently in southern Wisconsin, local police were tipped off to Kohl’s alleged activity 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. 

Such groups often monitor the internet and conduct investigations, leading to probable cause for local police to find evidence, typically on electronic devices and computers. Investigators also have been known to pose as potential abuse victims online.

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

The court documents also detail alleged Google searches from Kohl spanning the two-year time frame during which the images were downloaded. Those searches included references to “teens” and nude “young girls”, a search involving bestiality; and another for “5 free anonymous web browsers that are completely private,” according to the complaint.

The charges were filed January 2024. His jury trial is slated to start at 9 a.m. on September 9. He is free on a $5,000 signature bond.

If convicted, 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.