Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
A former Hortonville village administrator facing child porn possession charges in Outagamie County was the subject of a similar investigation when he was Shawano County’s planning and development director in 2001.
Patrick M. Vaile, 60, of Hortonville, was charged in Outagamie County Circuit Court on Wednesday with 16 counts of possession of child pornography.
Vaile resigned from his post in Hortonville after his arrest Tuesday. He was ordered held on a $75,000 cash bond.
According to the criminal complaint, the state Division of Criminal Investigations (DCI) received a cybertip concerning Vaile on Monday from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
DCI agents searched Vaile’s home computer and a flash drive Tuesday. They discovered 169 images of child pornography on the devices, and two boxes with printed images of child pornography in Vaile’s bedroom and garage, the criminal complaint states.
Shawano County authorities confirmed Friday that they assisted the DCI with an investigation into child porn allegations against Vaile in 2001.
The DCI was working with law enforcement in Brown County, where Vaile lived at the time while working for Shawano County.
Shawano County Sheriff’s Department Detective Sgt. Gordon Kowaleski said there was evidence collected and statements that were taken in Shawano County and were turned over to the DCI for possible referral to the district attorney’s office in the Brown County case.
No charges were filed in Brown County as a result of that investigation and it was unclear whether the probe ever led to charges being referred.
Vaile was Shawano County planning and development director from August 1996 to September 2001. He was hired as Hortonville’s administrator in 2011.
Vaile is due back in Outagamie County court Thursday for further proceedings. He could face 25 years in prison and a $100,000 fine on each count of child porn possession if convicted.