UWM lecturer charged with possession of child pornography

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A UW-Milwaukee lecturer is now charged with possessing child pornography.

Dennis Tomashek, 54, is a lecturer in the Health Sciences Department. He is now charged with five counts of possessing child pornography.

On March 11, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified the St. Francis Police Department that Tomashek’s Tumblr account had some inappropriate pictures.

Police then searched Tomashek’s computer and found 14 images of child pornography with children as young as toddlers.

These charges coming just a few weeks after a UWM Professor Anthony Azenabor was charged with sexually assaulting a student on campus last Spring.

UWM released this statement to CBS 58:

"The first priority at UWM is the health, safety and well-being of our students. We complete criminal background checks on all employees before they are hired. We expect them to act in line with the university’s core values and code of conduct, and we are committed to taking action when they fail to do so. We are taking appropriate personnel action in the cases of both Mr. Azenabor and Mr. Tomashek. While I cannot discuss confidential personnel matters, I can tell you that Mr. Azenabor was not assigned to teach this semester, and Mr. Tomashek’s classes have been reassigned. As always, I want to encourage any student who feels he or she has been treated inappropriately or who has witnessed inappropriate behavior to come forward and speak to campus police, the Dean of Students, or another person in campus leadership. We take all reports seriously and will investigate them."

A student in Tomashek’s class, who wanted to remain anonymous, was shocked to learn about the charges her teacher is facing.

“I enjoyed his class,” she said. “This is nothing I ever expected. He seemed like a very nice guy, but yeah I’m very saddened.”