DATE: June 5, 2024
SUBJECT: Potential Release of Violent Sex Offender
AUTHORITY: Sheriff Martin R. Schulteis

TOWN OF TRENTON, WI - Early this week the sheriff’s office was notified by the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services of a potential supervised release plan of a subject who was committed as a Sexually Violent Person under Wisconsin Chapter 980 by an Outagamie County Circuit Court judge in July of 1997.

The most recent Outagamie Court Order, filed on March 13, 2024, requires the Department of Health Services to notify the county in which the potential placement exists of the intention to pursue placement. I received that notification on June 3, 2024, in a letter dated May 31, 2024. That potential placement is a Community Based Residential Facility on Eastwood Trail in the Town of Trenton.

Given the individual's history and the potential risks associated with the release, I have profound concerns about both the ethical appropriateness and the legality of this proposed placement. It is paramount to me that the sheriff’s office thoroughly assesses the potential impact on the safety and security of the surrounding community. This committed violent sex offender has already demonstrated the inability to conform to previous supervised released plans. In addition, the subject of this order has never lived in Washington County nor has ever been convicted of a crime within Washington County. Local communities already struggle with finding appropriate placements for these types of violent sex offenders that have domicile connections to our own local communities much less having to accept placements from outside of the area.

As one of our initial steps, sheriff’s office staff is actively in the process of canvassing over 120 homes within a 1500-foot radius of the proposed Community Based Residential Facility. The purpose is to document any statutory disqualifiers and ethical considerations for the placement of this offender which will then be submitted to the court of jurisdiction in the placement.

Prioritizing the safety and well-being of the community while also ensuring compliance with legal requirements is paramount in navigating this challenging situation. Leadership from both Washington County and the Town of Trenton are actively exploring their legal options at this time to address this matter with the courts.

There is no proposed placement date currently set by the court.