Adrienne Davis
A former West Allis day care employee is facing multiple child pornography charges.
Jonathan Burkee, 25, of West Allis, was charged Nov. 13 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with one count of child sexual exploitation and five counts of child pornography, all felonies. If convicted of all charges, Burkee faces up to 165 in prison and fines of up to $600,000.
Burkee was an employee at St. Paul’s Lutheran School in West Allis
According to the criminal complaint:
On Nov. 6, a West Allis police detective was contacted by an FBI agent regarding a cybercrime discovered on Nov. 5 in an online chatroom. The agent told the detective that the victim was an 11-year-old girl who was a student at St. Paul's Lutheran School in West Allis.
Investigators discovered that several inappropriate photos of a juvenile female were located in the chatroom. The photos appeared to be taken in a school environment while in the presence of other children.
The girl in the photos was identified as a current student at the school. Investigators then contacted the victim's mother, who told them she believed the principal's son (Burkee) was the person who had taken the photos.
The mother told investigators that Burkee worked in the school's day care and was a babysitter who babysat the victim and her sister at his residence in West Allis. Burkee had babysat the children most recently on Nov. 1.
The West Allis Police Department and the FBI executed a search of Burkee's home on Nov. 9
On the morning of Nov. 9, West Allis police and the FBI, having obtained a warrant, conducted a search of Burkee's home in West Allis.
Prior the search, Burkee told investigators, "I know what I did is wrong, I have to go to the bathroom, I have child stuff in my phone. Dad I'm sorry, I have child stuff in my phone."
West Allis police later conducted a search of one of Burkee's cellphones seized during the warrant. It contained multiple photos of female children in the deleted photo gallery.
St. Paul's Lutheran confirmed that Burkee and his father were no longer employees at the school
In an email sent to the Journal Sentinel, Jeff Reinhardt, congregation president of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, confirmed that the school was aware of the situation and that as of Nov. 9, Burkee was no longer an employee at the school.
"We have been and will continue to cooperate with the West Allis Police Department with their ongoing investigation," Reinhardt said in the email. "Please understand that our primary focus at this time is providing our families and students with guidance and support as we navigate this difficult time. Please honor our request and provide our Church, School and families with the privacy we need to work and focus on healing together."
Reinhardt also confirmed that the principal, Burkee’s father, had resigned as principal on Nov. 9.
Burkee appeared in court on Nov. 13. A cash bond was set at $5,000. He is due back in court on Nov. 21.
Contact Adrienne Davis at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.
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