KENOSHA, Wis. — A 17-year-old Kenosha boy is facing serious felony charges after investigators say he possessed dozens of graphic videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Austin J. LeClaire appeared in Kenosha County Intake Court on Friday, where Court Commissioner William Michel set a $75,000 cash bond in the child pornography case and ordered a court-ordered mental competency evaluation.

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LeClaire has been charged with 11 counts of possession of child pornography, all Class I felonies. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 3.5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, bringing the total possible sentence to 38.5 years if convicted on all charges.

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According to the criminal complaint, the investigation began in March when Dropbox submitted a cyber tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. That tip led authorities to a Dropbox account linked to LeClaire. A search warrant revealed around 100 files believed to be child sexual abuse material, including some that depicted prepubescent and toddler-aged victims being assaulted by adult men. Additional tips connected to the same user accounts led investigators to recover more illicit material from Google and Discord.

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Kenosha Police Detective Peter Deates and Officer Hird interviewed LeClaire, who confirmed his ownership of the email addresses and Dropbox accounts listed in the tip. He allegedly admitted to receiving child pornography through platforms like Snapchat and Discord, storing it on his devices and cloud accounts. At one point, he told officers he never reported the images and knowingly saved them to Dropbox. He also acknowledged having used Apple’s private relay service, which was consistent with data provided by the tip.

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Some of the videos described in the complaint were extremely graphic, involving infants and toddlers. All of the videos were reviewed by law enforcement and determined to meet the legal definition of child pornography.

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LeClaire’s defense attorney requested a competency evaluation during the hearing Friday. Commissioner Michel granted the request, and a competency hearing is scheduled for June 23.

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In a separate misdemeanor case that was also addressed during Friday’s court appearance, LeClaire faces charges of theft and fraudulent use of a credit card. That incident stems from July 4, 2024, when a woman reported her wallet stolen and later discovered her credit card was used to purchase gum and withdraw $60 in cash from a Pick ’n Save in Kenosha. Surveillance footage captured LeClaire at the store, and he later admitted to police that he took the wallet, removed its contents, and used the stolen card. He was released on a $500 cash bond in the theft case.

LeClaire remains in custody at the Kenosha County Jail. His next court appearance in the felony case will focus on determining his competency to stand trial.

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