Shorewood Man Pleads Guilty to State Charge in Child Porn Case

A 55-year-old Shorewood man has pled guilty to state charges and will face trial in federal court early next month , according to online court records.

Kenneth Johnson appeared in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Monday, and filed the guilty plea as part of an agreement with the district attorney's office. The details of the agreement are not available and Johnson remains in custody, records show.

He is due in federal court on April 2 to face trial for three charges of transportation of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of accessing a protected computer. . He has filed an initial not guilty plea.

On Aug. 2, authorities say Johnson attempted to meet what he thought was a 15-year-old Glendale boy who was actually an undercover detective with the Milwaukee Police Department.

According to the criminal complaint, Johnson chatted with the undercover detective for hours via Yahoo Messenger, email and over the phone before trying to meet at .

Police would also later find thousands of images and thousands of videos of child pornography in his Shorewood home at 4172 N. Newhall Ave.

Milwaukee police started the sting after discovering a Craigslist posting, in which Johnson said he was looking for a "son, no age limits."

Under the state charges, Johnson could face up to 40 years in prison and/or a $100,000 fine. He also loses voting and firearm rights. He is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on April 30.

The federal charges of transportation of child pornography carry minimum five-year prison sentences for each count, with a maximum of 20 years. The other counts each have maximum sentences of five years in prison. The charges also come with the possibility of a $250,000 fine.