Racine County Sheriff's expects hundreds of victims from gymnastics coach with hidden cameras
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According to the Sheriff, James Kivisto had 803 registered children at his gymnastics facility, Wind Lake Gymnastics Center, since it opened in 2007. Kivisto has been around Milwaukee and Racine Counties since 1987.
49-year-old Kivisto is facing ten felony counts of child porn.
The Sheriff's Office has already received 150 phone calls of parents and children worried they might be victims. The Sheriff expects hundreds of victims. They discovered over 100 inappropriate images on Kivisto's devices which he admitted to viewing.
In an interrogation, Kivisto said he did not distribute the images but the Sheriff's Office has not been able to confirm that information.
Over the coming weeks and months the Sheriff's Office expects it will conduct hundreds of interviews with possible victims and their families. Anyone who thinks they may have been impacted or anyone who ever went to Wind Lake Gymnastics Center is asked to call a hotline at 262-636-3990.
Kivisto told officials that he was arrested by Glendale Police in 1999 for child porn. The FBI was brought in and charges were referred to the Milwaukee County DA. What happened after that referral is unknown, but Kivisto was not registered as a sex offender.
The Milwaukee County DA's Office sent CBS 58 this statement:
"This office routinely charges cases like the matter involving Mr. Kivisto in 1999. I have no further information about that charging decision from 19 years ago.This office routinely charges cases like the matterinvolving Mr. Kivisto in 1999. I have no further information about thatcharging decision from 19 years ago."
The hidden cameras were found by a family cleaning up after a party that was held at the Gymnastics Center.
No assaults were ever reported regarding Kivisto and officials never received a complaint.
Kivisto was the owner/operator of the Gymnastics Center where he also lived. He was never married and had no children. He is being held on $150,000 cash bond. He is due in court next on March 21.