Man living in Racine arrested, charged with child porn possession
Carlos Chavez
RACINE, Wis. - A man living in Racine was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography.
37-year-old Carlos Chavez was charged with two counts of child porn possession, stemming from an investigation that started in 2024.
Investigation
What we know:
According to the Racine County Sheriff's Office, in November 2024, the Sheriff’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit got a tip from the Center for Missing and Exploited Children and began an investigation into the possession of child pornography in the City of Racine.
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Investigators determined that Carlos Chavez, who was living in Racine, uploaded three pictures/videos of child porn to his Google Drive. At the time, investigators had limited information as to where Chavez was.
Investigators, working alongside prosecutors with the Racine County District Attorney’s Office, got an arrest warrant for Chavez.
After the investigation and working with the Racine Police Department, on April 1, 2025, deputies found Chavez staying in the area of Memorial and Maple in Racine. Deputies arrested Chavez on the warrant – the original offenses were committed in the area of Carlisle and Hamilton in Racine.
During the arrest, deputies seized Chavez's cell phone as evidence. Chavez refused to answer any questions.
Deputies took Chavez to the Racine County Jail.
A $25,000 cash bond was ordered at Chavez’ initial appearance on April 1, 2025. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 9, 2025.
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No legal status
What we know:
The Racine County Sheriff's Office goes on to say that because Chavez is not legally in the United States, investigators notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and ICE placed a detainer on Chavez which states, in part, "subject to removal from the United States under federal immigration law" in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The Sheriff’s computer analyst is working with the Wisconsin Department of Justice to gain access to Chavez’ cell phone to perform a forensic analysis of any additional child porn.
Response from the sheriff
What they're saying:
"This case is a powerful example of what law enforcement can accomplish when agencies across all levels – city, county, state, and federal – work collaboratively in pursuit of a common goal: making our communities safer by locking up pedophiles," said Sheriff Christopher Schmaling. "I urge the rest of the criminal justice system to hold this pervert fully accountable, ensure he serves his sentence, and remove him from this country!"
The Source: The Racine County Sheriff's Office sent FOX6 the press release. Court information is publicly available on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website.