January 4, 2013 at 5:03 p.m.
Wang to serve three years in prison for possession of child porn
Wang to serve three years in prison for possession of child porn
Michael A. Wang, 47, had originally been charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography. As part of a plea deal Wang entered guilty pleas to two of the charges during a November hearing. A presentence investigation was ordered by the court before Wang was sentenced Wednesday.
The eight charges that were dismissed were read into the record during Wednesday's sentencing. Those eight charges and numerous other uncharged counts were considered when Judge Neal Nielsen decided Wang's sentence.
In addition to the three years of confinement Nielsen also ordered Wang to serve five years extended supervision once he is released from prison and to pay a child pornography surcharge of $5,000.
Wang had faced a possible maximum sentence of 50 years in prison, a $200,000 fine and mandatory child pornography surcharges totaling $1,000 for his conviction on the two charges.
Each of the original 10 charges carried a possible maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
Wang had earlier entered not guilty pleas to the charges. During a July 17 court hearing a motion made by his attorney to have certain evidence in the case suppressed, was denied.
During another earlier hearing a school official explained to the court the child pornography was found on Wang's school-issued computer through the use of the "Aristotle" computer monitoring program.
The defense wanted the evidence found on the computer ruled inadmissible for use in his case because they contended the evidence was discovered through an unconstitutional search by the use of the monitoring software.
The case against Wang
The investigation into Wang's activities began in early May 2011 after the school district's software flagged "chat logs" between Wang and "numerous women."
The "chat logs" indicated Wang had conducted sexually explicit "chats" on at least three separate occasions, the report stated.
Wang was charged in May 2011 after Northland Pines officials turned over to authorities two flash drives found in Wang's classroom.
The complaint indicates well over 100 images and videos, believed to be child pornography, were found on the two flash drives.
According to the complaint, the images and videos found on the flash drives show unclothed females (some as young as 4 or 5) in sexually provocative positions.
An officer's report attached to the complaint also details Wang's alleged "Internet sex" with a person believed to be a 14-year-old girl. According to the report, Wang told police he didn't know the girl's full identity but she told him she was 14.
"At certain points, Mr. Wang stated that he does not believe that she was 14 years (old), rather her age (was) 18 years old and she was just saying she was 14 years old," wrote Det. Sgt. Patrick Schmidt of the Vilas County Sheriff's Department.
Schmidt's report goes on to say that officers were very critical of Wang's story regarding the girl's age.
"During my experience with these investigations and talking with investigators that are on the ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force, [we] found it very odd that a female would be portraying herself younger than she is," he wrote. "During these investigations, we often find that there are females that are young who report themselves as being older, but never older and portray themselves as younger."
During the interview, Wang did admit to buying a webcam for the laptop computer (which was issued by the Northland Pines School District) and using it so the alleged 14-year-old could see him performing sexual acts.
The state was represented in the case by Assistant Attorney General David Maas, acting as a special prosecutor for Vilas County.
Joe VanDeLaarschot may be reached at jvandelaarschot@ lakelandtimes.com.
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