By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

According to Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, Anthony P. Hansen, a former employee of the Whitewater Unified School District who was charged with five felony counts of sex assault of student by school staff on August 15, 2022, has pled guilty to those crimes. As was reported in a previous Banner article, Hansen was arrested on July 22 by the Whitewater Police Department. His employment in the instructional technology department of the Whitewater Unified School District was terminated immediately by action of the school board on August 8.

Hansen, 35, of 137 N. Cherry Street, had been scheduled to face a jury trial beginning on June 5, 2023. Instead he appeared by video, in custody, before Judge Kristine E. Drettwan for a plea hearing on May 26. The mother of the victim, listening by phone, did not wish to make a statement. Hansen pled guilty to the five felony H counts of sex assault. Drettwan found that the defendant had made the plea freely, knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently, and consequently accepted the plea and judged Hansen guilty. As a result the jury trial was canceled. Two counts of child enticement – sexual contact felony D, more serious charges, were dismissed as agreed to by the prosecutor. Hansen declined to make a statement. The judge warned him that he is prohibited from possessing a firearm and is ineligible to vote until his civil rights are restored.

An order was made for Hansen’s appearance at the Department of Corrections for a Pre-Sentence Investigation Report. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for August 15, 2023. The penalty for a single Class H felony is a fine not to exceed $10,000 or imprisonment not to exceed 6 years, or both.

Editor’s note: A revision was made on 6/5/23 at 2:15 p.m. to correct the statutory penalties for a Class H felony.