On March 17, 2021 the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Judge Brett Blomme, a Milwaukee County Children’s Court judge, was charged with seven counts of possession of child pornography depicting the abuse of young boys. It is alleged that last fall Blomme uploaded as many as 27 videos and images of children being sexually abused using a messaging app. Blomme has been released on a signature bond with the conditions that he is prohibited access to social media or internet file sharing service, or unsupervised contact with children, except for his own. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended Blomme from his judicial duties.
This was not the first investigation of this nature in Milwaukee County Children’s Court: in 2018, a Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee staff attorney’s computer was seized during such an investigation, yet he was never charged with a crime. This attorney provided guardian ad litem services for children. A guardian ad litem is someone a court appoints to watch over an individual during a case and represent their best interests, especially prevalent in matters involving children. This history of individuals abusing their power in the Children’s Court makes it all the more concerning with the court’s focus on minors.
Unfortunately, abusive practices committed by people in positions of power, especially within the justice system, is not a unique occurrence. The CSE Institute has previously reported on cases involving judges, prosecutors, law enforcementand other government officials using their positions to manipulate and exploit vulnerable individuals. Ultimately, the fact that people in the most esteemed of professional positions are being accused of sexually exploiting vulnerable individuals, such as children, demonstrates that the issues related to sexual exploitation and human trafficking do not discriminate based on class, gender, age or other demographic lines.
The CSE Institute is deeply disturbed by the alleged criminal conduct committed by Judge Blomme. Sexually abusive conduct by a judicial official trusted to legally intervene in children’s lives is unacceptable, as it is sexual exploitation at its core. Any official with the power to enforce the law cannot be allowed to use his or her authority to exploit victims by any means. The CSE Institute commends the Wisconsin investigators, including Special Agent Tamar Taubel, and Assistant Attorney General David Maas for taking action to end Blomme’s alleged abuse and hold him accountable. Those guilty of exploiting children, or people in general, have no place in our justice system.