Grand jury indicts Minnesota man involved in alleged Oneida County sex crimes

A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned an indictment against Creighton Mithaugen, 37, Faribault, Minn., on March 12. 

He’s charged with traveling in interstate commerce to have illicit sexual conduct. The indictment alleges that on Feb. 13, 2026, Mithaugen traveled to Rhinelander to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

If convicted of that charge, Mithaugen faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, the Rhinelander Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger is handling the federal portion of the Mithaugen case.

“This investigation was part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse,” a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice said. “Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.”

Related to the federal charge against Mithaugen is a $20,000 bond set in Oneida County court for two sex crimes related to the federal charge.  

On Feb. 14, Mithaugen was arrested in Rhinelander and charged with one count of attempting 2nd degree sexual assault of a child and one count of using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime.

Both are Class C felonies.

If convicted on the first count, Mithaugen faces a fine of up to $50,000 or up to 20 years in prison, or both, and a fine of up to $100,000, or up to 40 years in prison, or both, for the second count.

A motion hearing for the Oneida County charges against Mithaugen is scheduled for Thursday, March 19. 

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].