By Shereen Siewert

WAUSAU — A Wausau man will spend seven years in prison after being sentenced this month on multiple counts of possessing child pornography, charges brought forward after months-long investigation stemming from a Google cybertip.

David Muench, 34, will also spend five years on extended supervision after he is released from prison. Marathon County Circuit Judge Mike Moran presided over the case and ordered Muench not to have any internet access or contact with minors except under supervision.

Muench was on probation at the time of his arrest on unrelated charges of fleeing an officer, according to court records.

An investigation began in January after a cybertip from Google led police to discover more than 5,000 photos and videos of infants, toddlers and preteens being sexually assaulted. Google actively scans the images that pass through Gmail accounts to see if they match up with known child pornography victims. When known victims are discovered, they are given a unique digital fingerprint that can be identified through automated systems. When a match is detected, that information is passed to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, where officials then follow up with local police to chase down leads.

In Muench’s case, Google first reported the images Jan. 11. Investigators from the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation used subpoenas to trace the images to Muench, who allegedly admitted looking at and having child pornography on his phone. A forensic search led investigators to the discovery.

Police nationwide are seeing a historic rise in the distribution of child pornography, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, which has led to increased efforts to identify suspects who collect and share such photos. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, images of child pornography should be considered crime scene photos that not only create a market for child sexual assault but cause lifelong harm to the children being victimized.

Muench was given 149 days credit for time served while awaiting trial in his case.