Ex-Church Official Gets Probation, Jail for Child Porn Conviction

The former communications director for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod will spend one year in the work-release jail after he was sentenced Monday on one count of possessing child pornography.

Joel W. Hochmuth, 52, of Waukesha, was sentenced Monday to 10 years of probation the year of jail time is a condition of his probation. Other conditions of probation include sex offender treatment and registering on the state’s sex offender database, according to online court records.

Two additional felony charges of possessing child pornography were dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea.

Hochmuth was charged in November after detectives from the met with a special agent from the FBI, who told detectives that Hochmuth was using the Internet handle “Skiguy10101” had child pornography on his computer depicting “pre-pubescent and adolescent boys engaged in various sexual acts,” according to a criminal complaint.

Hochmuth told authorities that the number of images found on his computer in Waukesha “was nothing compared to what they would find in his office,” the complaint states. Hochmuth denied downloading pornographic images on his work computer but police located three thumb drives at the WELS office in Wauwatosa, 2929 N Mayfair Rd., that had nine images and videos of young boys engaged in sexual acts, the complaint states. Authorities believe boys shown in the graphic pictures ranged from 10 to 14 years old.

Hochmuth was terminated from his position when the allegations came to light.