December 12, 2014 at 4:32 p.m.
Morgan gets prison in sexual assault case
Morgan gets prison in sexual assault case
Ronald Morgan, 50, was charged in August 2013 in Marathon County Circuit Court with second-degree sexual assault of a child. Authorities alleged he had sexual contact with a 15-year-old boy.
Prosecutors eventually added two more counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child, and one count of exposing genitals to a child.
Morgan pleaded not guilty, and in August, a jury convicted him on the four charges, all of which are felonies.
According to court documents, the victim is related to Morgan and the offense took place at a family gathering in Marathon County last summer. Morgan told law enforcement he had consumed alcohol during the time period in which the assault occurred. He asserted he could not remember committing the assault.
On Thursday, Marathon County Circuit Judge Gregory Huber sentenced Morgan to six years in prison, though he will receive a 128-day credit for time already served behind bars. After his release from prison, Morgan will be subject to extended supervision by the state Department of Corrections for nine years. He will also have to register as a sex offender, undergo sex offender treatment and must not have contact with anyone under the age of 18, among other conditions.
The prosecution had sought eight years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision. The defense had asked for probation with up to a year in jail as a condition of probation.
Morgan's attorney, Tracey Wood, said in an interview Friday that she anticipates filing an appeal to seek a new trial. She did not identify the reasons a new trial would be sought.
Marathon County Deputy District Attorney Theresa Wetzsteon declined to comment about Morgan's possible request for a new trial.
In a related but separate proceeding, Morgan, a former town of Minocqua employee, has claimed the town improperly fired him because of his arrest stemming from the initial sexual assault charge.
An equal rights officer with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development ruled in July there was probable cause to believe the town may have violated state law prohibiting employers from firing employees solely based on an arrest.
A hearing in the employment case is scheduled for February.
Jonathan Anderson may be reached at [email protected].
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