Man living in Racine arrested, charged with child porn possession
The Brief
A man living in Racine was arrested for possession of child porn following an investigation that started in 2024.
Carlos Chavez faces two counts of possession of child porn.
The Racine County Sheriff's Office is working with the Wisconsin DOJ to analyze his phone for more potential evidence.
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.
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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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.
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.
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People were also blasting music through speakers and their cars or revving their motorcycles. But not long after that, Aleman said Whittier police came out of the hotel and began launching less lethal weapons into the crowd. She said the protestors ran for cover, but not long after, they came back and resumed the protest. 'We just continued to protest and raise our voices because we don't like what's happening,' Aleman said. 'We demand answers because our friends or their relatives, neighbors, kids, adults, everyone of all ages, of all backgrounds, are being abducted.' The Whittier Police Department did not respond to requests for comment. Aleman said the decision to send federal agents to hotels in Los Angeles is a waste of resources that could otherwise have been put into community resources. 'It just doesn't make any sense to concentrate all our resources and manpower or people power on capturing hard working people, people who are just trying to survive, selling fruit on the street or working in construction or on the fields or working anywhere, just not committing any crimes,' Aleman said. Topete said it is 'crazy to see how many cities are allowing ICE agents' to stay in their hotels. However, she said she is proud to see people taking to the streets to protest peacefully. 'I love seeing that the community is coming out and speaking up for undocumented community members that are being kidnapped,' Topete said. 'We have power over authority if everybody were to unite and come together, they just need to be fearless and not be scared to stand up for our people.'
