Convicted sex offender charged with possession of child pornography

A 21-year-old convicted sex offender from Rhinelander has been charged with possession of child pornography after allegedly admitting to exchanging nude photos with an underage female.

In addition to the child pornography charge, Payton W. Lanke has also  been charged with two other felonies  — a sex offender registry violation and felony bail jumping.

Lanke made his initial appearance on Monday afternoon before Judge Mary Sowinski. She set a $10,000 cash bond before announcing that she would be recusing herself from the case because Lanke is a convicted sex offender as a result of a case she prosecuted when she was an assistant district attorney.

According to the criminal complaint in the new case, Lanke obtained a cellphone and admitted exchanging nude photos with an underage female soon after his release from the Oneida County jail on Sept. 15.

In February, he was sentenced to 7 months in jail after pleading no contest to causing mental harm to a child and causing a child under the age of 13 to view/listen to sexual activity. A third charge — possession of child pornography — was resolved through a deferred prosecution agreement. The case was prosecuted by Sowinski.

According to the complaint, that case also stemmed from alleged inappropriate contact with underage females.

Sex offender treatment and sex offender registration for a period of 15 years was ordered as a result of that conviction. 

Sowinski advised Lanke that it would be unfair for her to preside over the new case and that a new court date would be scheduled after a new judge is appointed.

As conditions of bond, Sowinski stressed that Lanke may have absolutely no contact with underage persons and may not possess any type of device that can access the internet. The new charges carry a maximum sentence of 31 years in prison. Lanke also faces a potential revocation hearing related to the previous case.