Trial of former teacher accused of possessing child pornography rescheduled for 2025

A former fourth-grade math teacher with the Minocqua Hazelhurst Lake Tomahawk school district who was set to stand trial next month in Vilas County Circuit Court has had his three-day jury trial rescheduled for Feb. 18-20, 2025.

Lucas Aschbrenner, 46, of Arbor Vitae was arrested in March 2023 for allegedly possessing child pornography. The arrest took place after a search warrant was executed at his home.

According to a press release issued by the Department of Justice at the time, the warrant to search Aschbrenner’s home was the result of a child sexual abuse cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding the defendant’s home internet service. 

Aschbrenner was able to post $25,000 cash bond on March 6, 2023, with conditions of his release. 

There have been multiple court hearings in the case over the past year, and recently, Aschbrenner’s cash bond conditions were modified on Sept. 17, according to court records.

Those conditions include no access to the internet except for the purpose of accessing for banking/medical purposes and sending/receiving email; no contact with any minors except benign or incidental contact in public; must be fitted with a GPS monitor; and he is not to leave the state.

Before the trial is scheduled to start next year, another motion hearing is scheduled for Dec. 18 at 8:30 a.m. and final pre-trial is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2025. 

Aschbrenner is charged with two class D felony counts of possessing child pornography. If found guilty, the maximum penalty each of the charges carry is a fine not to exceed $100,000 or imprisonment not to exceed 25 years, or both.

Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].