Milw. Co. Sheriff's Sgt. Philip Wentzel in federal custody

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office says a high-ranking deputy is being held in federal custody. Sgt. Philip Wentzel was immediately put on paid leave by the Sheriff's Office. Sgt. Wentzel has appeared on FOX6 News many times, and was once the spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office. Now, Sgt. Wentzel is the target of a federal investigation involving images found on his computer.

In a statement, the Sheriff's Office said Sheriff David Clarke is "disgusted with the nature of the allegations against the deputy as they were briefed to him."

Sheriff David Clarke spoke with FOX6 News Thursday evening, May 3rd. "The information that I received said that activity occurred at his home computer, so we wouldn't have had any indication, red flags," Sheriff Clarke said.

Sheriff Clarke says the FBI called him on Wednesday - the same day Wentzel was arrested. Sheriff Clarke says he was shocked. "Nothing that would indicate a law enforcement officer, a supervisor, would be alleged to have engaged in this sort of disgusting behavior. This is a human being, and again, these are allegations. The nature of them are ugly, so I am disgusted from that standpoint," Sheriff Clarke said.

The Sheriff's Office says they cannot comment further on the case, as they are not in charge of the investigation.

The FBI has not made a formal statement on the investigation. FOX6 News' calls to the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriff's Association were not returned.

Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.