To catch a pedophile

WEYAUWEGA – On April 23, the Weyauwega Police Department received a cybertip from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) through the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Sergeant Bryan Strobusch opened a file that included metadata regarding a Snapchat account belonging to a user named “dakotahedtke22.” Also included was the user’s date of birth and IP address.
Strobusch opened the cybertip file attachment. It was a 51-second video of a woman exposing a female toddler’s genitalia and stimulating the child’s vagina with her tongue.
Other wheels were in motion. An ICAC analyst corresponded with Strobusch and he sent an administrative subpoena to Charter Communications to get subscriber information. This revealed the internet service went to a Weyauwega address on Mill Street. The subscriber was Dakota Hedtke.
Strobusch investigated more. He learned Hedtke spent 198 days in jail after Clintonville police arrested him in 2019. The complaint stated that Hedtke was 20 years old at the time and in a relationship with a 13-year-old girl. He sent photos of his penis to the victim and she sent him sexual images in return.
The next day Strobusch got an affidavit and warrant endorsed by Assistant District Attorney Nick Bolz and Judge Troy Nielsen for Snapchat content of the related to “dakotahedtke22” account. He served the documents to Snapchat.
On the afternoon of April 29, Strobusch staked out the Mill Street address. After about an hour, he observed Hedtke walk out of the house and down 3rd Street. He walked right in front of the stake-out vehicle and Strobusch got a good look at him. He matched his old booking photo. Hedtke walked to work at Presto Products. That was enough and Strobusch requested Corporal Brandon Rode to stake out the house in the morning hours.
Rode confirmed that Hedtke returned to the residence wearing the same clothing as Strobusch observed. Rode also did further surveillance which further confirmed this morning routine.
In the middle of May, Strobusch was in touch with Snapchat and they sent him data related to the search warrant and he started his analysis of Hedtke’s online conversations.
Much of the Hedtke’s online chats with other users were in ungrammatical gibberish such as “btw what city r u in?” and “so yes or no do u want to be my gf.”
Throughout these chats, Strobusch indentified four minors: a 13-year-old, a 15-year-old, a 16-years-old and a 17-year-old . At the time Hedtke was 27 years old.
The chats consisted of Hedtke asking the underage users sexual questions about masturbation, underwear, body size, arousal, sexual experience and if she wanted to be his girlfriend. The chats became very graphic and extreme. He asked one user if she ever had sex with a dog.
On May 30, Strobusch got a warrant for Hedtke and requested he be charged with Possession of Child Pornography.
Hedtke was arrested and charged with Possession of Child Pornography. His case was filed in the Waupaca County Court on June 3. It is a Class D Felony, and he could be fined up to $100,000 and imprisoned up to 25 years.