Sex crimes such as child enticement are not taken lightly in Wisconsin. Guilty or not, individuals accused of sex crimes will be aggressively prosecuted, and penalties for a conviction are harsh.
A 59-year-old Wisconsin man has recently been subject to this aggressive prosecution.
According to authorities, he was caught sending nude text messages of himself to a police officer. The police claim the suspect was under the impression that he was sending these photos to a teenager.
The criminal complaint accuses the man of participating in sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old minor. The man allegedly contacted the minor three weeks later and asked her to meet him at a hotel. The complaint goes on to say that the girl arrived at the hotel, and they again had sexual contact. This time the girl apparently said no.
After that incident, the man is accused of contacting the minor through text messaging. She alerted authorities, at which point the Marshfield Police Department took over, and a detective used the minor girl’s cell phone to contact the suspect. The detective continued this scheme by pretending he was the minor girl. The complaint states the suspect then sent a naked photo of himself to the detective.
The two made a date to meet. At this meeting place, the suspect learned he had been texting a detective instead of the minor girl.
The 59-year-old is facing a number of charges, including exposing genitals to a child, child enticement, having sex with a child age 16 or older and exposing a child to harmful material.
If the prosecution is able to prove its case against him, he is facing a maximum prison sentence of 32 years.
Accusations of involvement in a sex crime can turn friends and family away. These accusations also make finding a job difficult. An individual in such a situation may feel alone and completely helpless. Still, there are options for mounting a meaningful criminal defense. Wisconsin residents who have been charged with a sex crime should be aware their rights under state and federal laws.
Source: Fond du Lac Reporter, ” Lomira man charged with texting nude photos,” May 12, 2012