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Joshua Dale Cline, 29, Sentenced to 6 Years for Receiving Child Pornography
MADISON, WIS. – Joshua Dale Cline, a 29-year-old resident of Jim Falls, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 6 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography. The prison term will be followed by 15 years of supervised release. Cline was also ordered to pay $38,500 in restitution to the victims.
According to U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma, Cline pleaded guilty to the crime on February 9, 2026. The sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson, who noted that the extended time Cline was involved with trading child pornography and the very young age of the victims were aggravating factors.
Prosecutor Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger worked on the case, which was the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations in Milwaukee and Detroit and the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office.
Joshua Dale Cline was charged with receiving child pornography, a crime that involves the distribution, production, or receipt of child pornography. This type of material encourages the sexual abuse of children by creating a market for such images.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received tips that Kik accounts associated with Cline were being used to send and receive child pornography on three occasions between November 2024 and January 2025.
On January 27, 2025, Cline sent images of child pornography to an undercover agent via Kik. Upon arrest, Cline admitted he had been using Kik to trade images of child pornography for over a year.
Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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