Child sex crimes, bestiality; ex-Racine County deputy convicted
Preston Kite
RACINE, Wis. - A former Racine County sheriff's deputy on Friday was convicted of multiple felonies – including possession of child pornography, child sexual exploitation and bestiality.
Preston Kite, 37, was charged in February with 45 total felonies and two misdemeanors across two different cases. Court records show he pleaded either no contest or guilty to a slew of charges on Friday. The remaining counts were dismissed but will be read in for sentencing, which is scheduled for February 2025.
WARNING: Details of this story are disturbing. Discretion is advised.
Initial child porn case
Kite was first charged on Feb. 8, accused of messaging a man on an app and telling him to come into a Racine County truck stop bathroom. According to a criminal complaint, that man said Kite was in uniform in the bathroom and touching himself.
That incident led to an investigation, during which law enforcement searched Kite's personal cellphone and found child sex videos. Investigators said Kite exchanged messages with another man who claimed to be 18. The two exchanged multiple videos back and forth that featured adults having sex with young children.
Racine County Sheriff's Office
Subsequent child porn, bestiality case
A second criminal complaint, filed later in February, alleged a search of Kite's iPad revealed multiple videos of what appeared to be bestiality pornography.
Prosecutors said one video appeared to show a man having sexual contact with a dog, and another appeared to show a man having sexual contact with a horse. There were also text messages on Kite's phone in which he allegedly told someone about sexual contact he'd had with a cow and a dog.
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After Kite was charged in the initial case, the complaint states detectives were contacted about Kite having babysat a 9-year-old child in January. Since that time, the child had been more clingy and exhibited "other behavior concerns." A detective asked the child about when Kite babysat; the child said something "weird" happened that the child was not OK with. Later, the complaint states the child told their mother that Kite asked the child to bring toilet paper to him in the bathroom, and the child said they saw Kite's genitals.
The search of Kite's personal cellphone allegedly revealed child sexual abuse material, including videos that showed young boys being sexually assaulted. Some of those videos served as the basis of the charges filed in both criminal cases against the former deputy.
Preston Kite (November 2023)
Praise for ASL
Kite was previously praised for his American Sign Language work – including a specific encounter with a deaf child – last year. Officials said he was the only deputy in the county who knew ASL, and would use that skill to serve the public.
"Deputy Kite is an excellent example of how deputies use their unique skills and talents to serve the community," Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said in a Facebook post at the time.
Kite also served as a resource office for neighboring counties, stepping in with his ASL skills when needed.