Washington County man back in court, charged with 2 dozen counts of child pornography

A 36-year-old Wisconsin man tied to human trafficking in the Philippines and possessing child pornography was back in Washington County court yesterday.

Michael Westphal of West Bend appeared in court for a scheduled hearing where a plea hearing was set for October 2nd.

Westphal was arrested in July of 2023 for multiple charges relating to child sexual abuse material.
During the investigation, it was found he had connections to the Philippines which led to the arrest of three human traffickers and the rescue of six children.

According to authorities, Westphal was sending money to a sex trafficker in the Philippines for video of a child being sexually assaulted. He is being charged with 24 counts of possessing child pornography.