DOJ: Former Wisconsin youth pastor pleads guilty to repeated sexual assault of a child charge, faces 40 years
WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WFRV) – A Colorado man, and former youth pastor in central Wisconsin, has pleaded guilty after allegedly assaulting a child between September 2002 and December 2003.
According to a release from the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), 53-year-old James Lane was charged with one count of Repeated Sexual Assault of a Child, stemming from a report made to the Clergy and Faith Leader Abuse Initiative.
Lane pleaded guilty on April 8. He faces up to 40 years in prison, and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 3.
Volatile standoff continues as extremely dangerous, heavily armed man not leaving Wisconsin residence
At the time of the incidents, Lane was reportedly a youth pastor at Faith Reformed Church located in Wisconsin Rapids. Lane is alleged to have assaulted the victim in his vehicle when he was reportedly driving the victim home.
When interviewed by Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation special agents, Lane allegedly stated that he had a 'relationship' with a girl in the youth group that got 'inappropriate.'
Before reporting the alleged assault through the Clergy and Faith Leader Abuse Initiative, authorities say that the victim had not reported any incidents to either the church or law enforcement.
Person who died in jail identified as man who killed Wisconsin doctor on a walk with her family
'As this conviction shows, the Clergy and Faith Leader Abuse Initiative is continuing to have an impact,' said AG Kaul. 'Thank you to the courageous survivor whose decision to make a report has led to accountability for the defendant.'
Survivors of clergy or faith leader abuse, their friends and family, or anyone who has information about how a religious organization has responded to reported abuse are encouraged to report that information to Wisconsin DOJ either online at SupportSurvivors.widoj.gov or by calling 1-877-222-2620.
Wisconsin Department of Justice
No additional details were provided.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Second defendant convicted in human trafficking sexual assault case in Fond du Lac
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV) – A second illegal immigrant found in Fond du Lac County has been convicted of human trafficking sexual assault involving his co-defendant's daughter. Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney announced that Juan Carlos Rocha-Mejia was convicted of first-degree sexual assault of a child after pleading no contest. 42-year-old Wisconsin man arrested for 4th OWI after swerving in between multiple lanes Co-defendant Elia Antonio, the mother of the victim, was previously convicted of human trafficking of a child, failure to protect a child, and two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping. Bond was revoked for Rocha-Mejia, and the judge ordered a pre-sentence investigation. 'Today is another step towards justice for the survivor, with the second defendant being convicted for a disgusting attack on a child,' said Toney. 'We look forward to the upcoming sentencing hearings to hold both defendants accountable and help the survivor move past the court process. I am grateful for the excellent investigative efforts by the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office and ADA Menzl.' The investigation revealed that Rocha-Mejia and Antonio are illegally in the United States. The convictions stem from a sexual assault of Elia Antonio's daughter on March 18, 2024. Antonio gave her daughter to Rocha-Mejia to be sexually assaulted for approximately $250. Rocha-Mejia held the child in a van and attempted to duct-tape her as he began to sexually assault her. Multiple hurt in Sheboygan County crash involving dump truck, one severely injured The victim bravely fought back, biting Rocha-Mejia, and escaped to a nearby residence. The defendant's DNA and the survivor's DNA were found on duct tape located in the van. Rocha-Mejia faces up to 40 years of initial confinement. The sentencing hearing for Rocha-Mejia is scheduled for August 21, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., and the sentencing for Elia Antonio is set for the same day at 11:00 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Village of Howard police to patrol reckless e-bike riders after complaints
HOWARD, Wis. (WFRV) – Authorities in Howard say police will now be conducting special enforcement patrols of children riding electric bicycles, citing 'ongoing complaints' as the reason why. Victory II Cruise returns to Green Bay after two year absence, marks 2025's first docking According to a release from the Village of Howard, despite the repeated requests for e-bike users to ride more responsibly, complaints continue to be ongoing, leading to additional actions needing to be taken. Village officials say the Howard Police Department, rather than using their time patrolling the streets and addressing the important matters throughout the community, will now conduct special enforcement patrols of children using e-bikes. Residents have made it clear that reckless operation of e-bikes and electric scooters has gotten out of control throughout the community. The village of Howard It's important to note that the Howard Municipal Code reportedly requires anyone using an e-bike to have a valid driver's license, operator's license, or instructional permit. Anyone under 16 years old using an e-bike will have any potential citations issued to their parents or legal guardians. Culver's launching new 'juicier, crispier, tastier' chicken sandwich lineup More information about the Village of Howard's ordinance regarding e-bikes and other recreational vehicles can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
11 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Alabama to execute a long-serving death row inmate for the 1988 beating death of a woman he dated
ATMORE, Ala. (AP) — A man convicted of beating a woman to death nearly 37 years ago is scheduled to be executed Tuesday in Alabama in what will be the nation's sixth execution with nitrogen gas. Gregory Hunt is scheduled to be put to death Tuesday night at a south Alabama prison. Hunt was convicted of killing Karen Lane, a woman he had been dating for about a month, according to court records. The Alabama execution is one of four that had been scheduled this week in the United States. Executions are also scheduled in Florida and South Carolina. On Monday a judge in Oklahoma issued a temporary stay for an execution in that state, but the state attorney general is seeking to get it lifted. Lane was 32 when she was murdered Aug. 2, 1988, in the Cordova apartment she shared with a woman who was Hunt's cousin. Prosecutors said Hunt broke into her apartment and killed her after sexually abusing her. A physician who performed an autopsy testified that she died from blunt force trauma and that Lane had sustained some 60 injuries, including 20 to the head. A jury on June 19, 1990, found Hunt guilty of capital murder during sexual abuse and burglary. Jurors recommended by a vote of 11-1 that he receive a death sentence, which a judge imposed. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Hunt's request for a stay Tuesday afternoon, clearing the way for the execution to go forward. Hunt's stay final request for a stay, which he filed himself, focused on claims that prosecutors made false statements to jurors about evidence of sexual abuse, which is what what elevated the crime to a death penalty offense. The Alabama attorney general's office called the claim meritless and said that even if the prosecutor erred in that statement, it did not throw the conviction into doubt. Hunt, speaking by telephone last month from prison, described himself as someone who was changed by prison. 'Karen didn't deserve what happened to her,' Hunt said. Hunt said he had been drinking and doing drugs on the night of the crime and became jealous when he saw Lane in a car with another man. 'You have your come-to-Jesus moment. Of course, after the fact, you can't believe what has happened. You can't believe you were part of it and did it,' Hunt said. Hunt, who was born in 1960 and came to death row in 1990, is now among the longest-serving inmates on Alabama's death row. He said prison became his 'hospital' to heal his broken mind. He said since 1988, he has been leading a Bible class attended by two dozen or more inmates. 'Just trying to be a light in a dark place, trying to tell people if I can change, they can too. ... become people of love instead of hate," he said. Lane's sister declined to comment when reached by telephone. The family is expected to give a written statement Tuesday night. 'The way she was killed is just devastating,' Denise Gurganus, Lane's sister, told TV station WBRC at a 2014 vigil for crime victims. 'It's hard enough to lose a family member to death, but when it's this gruesome.' The Alabama attorney general's office, in asking justices to reject Hunt's request for a stay of execution, wrote that Hunt has now been on death row longer than Lane was alive. Alabama last year became the first state to carry out an execution with nitrogen gas. Nitrogen has now been used in five executions — four in Alabama and one in Louisiana. The method involves using a gas mask to force an inmate to breathe pure nitrogen gas, depriving them of the oxygen needed to stay alive.
