"I saw strange file names:" Sheboygan man charged with 10 counts of child pornography

“I saw strange file names:” Sheboygan man charged with 10 counts of child pornography

"I saw strange file names:" Sheboygan man charged with 10 counts of child pornography

SHEBOYGAN (WITI) -- It's like taking a stolen car to the police station. A Sheboygan man could spend a very long time in jail for what was found on his computer.

It's something Shaun Brachmann, a computer repairman, wasn't expecting to discover.

Thomas Wirth

"I took a look at this file-sharing program that was running and I saw strange file names. File names that you don't want to see," said Brachmann.

An innocent request for help quickly turned disturbing.

"That's when I called the police," said Brachmann.

Brachmann says while working on 43-year-old Thomas Wirth's computer, he found files and images containing child pornography and immediately called authorities.

Wirth was arrested and charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography.

"If we can bring people to justice that are engaged in that, then it's all for the better good," said Joe DeCecco, Sheboygan County District Attorney.

DeCecco says it's a growing problem with a changing face.

"This isn't the guy in a trench coat going to the playground. They come from all walks of life," said DeCecco.

In this age of technology, so are the people who are now helping catch them.

"It's not something you ever want to do, not something you look for, but it's something you have to do," said Brachmann.

If convicted, Wirth faces 150 years in prison. He's due in court next Wednesday, February 11th for his preliminary hearing.

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