RACINE, Wis. — A 36-year-old Racine man recently out of prison for sexually assaulting a child is now facing 15 felony charges of possession of child pornography.
Samuel Hawkins was charged Friday after a Mount Pleasant Police Department investigator executed a search warrant at his home Wednesday following a tip made over the internet concerning child pornography.
According to a criminal complaint, during an interview with an investigator, Hawkins "appeared extremely nervous and panicked, and his breathing was erratic." The complaint says he stated, "I'm going to [explicit] lose everything now."
Hawkins said he "downloaded a coming of age foreign film" and that is where he thought the tip came from. The complaint says he said there was no nudity or sexual content in the movie, but stated, "Don't get me wrong, there is going to be stuff." The interview ended when he requested an attorney.
The search warrant revealed multiple images and videos of child pornography from Hawkins' cell phone. Investigators also found two firearms in the home. Due to his prior felony conviction, he is prohibited from possessing any firearms.
Hawkins was previously convicted of felony first-degree child sex assault and possession of child pornography in September 2015. He was sentenced to eight years but was released in 2019, according to online court records. He was 26 at the time.
A $75,000 cash bond was set for Hawkins on Friday. He will return to court for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 2.
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