Wisconsin man faces Internet crimes charges after sting

A Wisconsin sting operation has led to the arrest of a man accused of using a computer to attempt to lure a young girl into a sexual encounter. Three counties have been involved in the sting and have worked with the state Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Wisconsin Task Force. Police say the man agreed to meet a 15-year-old girl in a case of alleged child enticement for sex.

Investigators say the man placed a personals ad on Craigslist. An officer on the task force, posing as a minor girl, responded to the ad claiming to be an experienced 15-year-old girl and the two exchanged photographs. The man allegedly made several explicit sexual remarks and a meeting was set.

However, here the story takes a twist. Authorities acknowledge that the man then texted the “girl” stating that he was uncomfortable with her being underage. He agreed to meet, but texted that he would not do anything sexual with her. When he got to the meeting site, he was arrested. He is now facing charges of using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime. If convicted he could face 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

What seems to surface as a legitimate question in this case is the issue of intent. While the man charged allegedly suggested sexual relations with a minor might take place, there appears to be clear evidence that he backed away from any such intent.

Internet crimes that target Wisconsin children are troubling. But every accused person is innocent until proven guilty. Intent or lack thereof, is a crucial element of any crime that must be thoroughly examined.

Considering the potential consequences of just being charged with a crime, much less being convicted, the best thing a person facing criminal charges can do is to contact an attorney.