Owner of Fong's Garden in Oconomowoc facing child porn charge

Owner of Fongs Garden facing child pornography charge

OCONOMOWOC (WITI) -- Fong's Garden is a dining mainstay in downtown Oconomowoc -- but there are new concerns about Fong's as the restaurant's owner is now facing a criminal charge.

Fong’s Garden Chinese Restaurant is located just off the banks of Oconomowoc’s Fowler Lake. For over 15 years, Fong’s Garden has operated near Main and Wisconsin, but FOX6 News reported back in early October that the city has plans for that to change.

Oconomowoc Mayor Jim Daley supports building a green space in the area around where the restaurant sits. Hundreds of dollars are earmarked to prepare the land for the green space, with walkways and spaces for family-oriented activities.

However, those plans assumed the city would carry out an effort to successfully buy Fong’s.

“To date, there hasn’t been substantial progress,” Mayor Daley said.

Selling is not an option.

“The property owner is around double as far as seeing what the value of that land is,” Daley said.

Daley says paying that price is too costly for taxpayers.

The garden outside of Fong’s Garden is being prepared, and the city says if it cannot buy the building, it will still create the green space with minor adjustments.

Now, FOX6 News has learned Fong's owner, 48-year-old Tommy Lin has been charged with possession of child pornography.

As part of an effort to find those sharing child porn, police say they identified files downloaded inside a home -- including at least 100 videos involving child pornography, and over 1,000 images. Investigators estimate the pictures depicted children as young as four years old.

In court documents, Lin said he did not know watching that type of pornography in one's own home is illegal.

Lin was not home when FOX6 News stopped by his listed address on Monday -- and his attorney had no comment on the allegations.

It is unknown what impact, if any, the charges against Lin will have on the city's development discussions. What is more unclear is the future of a restaurant some have dined at for decades.