Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
A Fond du Lac man who came to the town of Wescott on Monday night for what he allegedly thought was going to be sex with a 15-year-old girl was instead arrested by Shawano County authorities.
Lawrence A. Wafer, 52, was charged Thursday with felony counts of using of a computer to facilitate a sex crime and possession of child pornography.
On Friday, a Shawano County sheriff’s detective, working undercover as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Wisconsin Task Force, went on the Internet posing as a 15-year-old girl.
According to the criminal complaint, he was contacted by Wafer, who began exchanging texts with the supposed girl. The exchanges included graphic sexual comments and photos, according to the complaint.
A rendezvous was eventually set up for Monday night. Wafer was taken into custody without incident when he arrived. He could face a maximum 40 years in prison and $100,000 fine if convicted of using a computer to facilitate a sex crime.
He could also face a maximum 25 years in prison and $100,000 fine for possession of child pornography.
According to the complaint, Wafer was in possession of three digital child porn photos; two showing pre-pubescent girls engaged in sex acts and another showing a naked female toddler.
Wafer is also charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and bail jumping.
Wafer was ordered held on a $10,000 cash bond Thursday after a hearing before Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court Judge James Habeck.
He is scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance on Oct. 12.
The sheriff’s office on Thursday issued a statement about the arrest. “The Shawano County Sheriff’s Office is aware that opportunistic predators are an ever present reality on the Internet and will continue to operate proactively to detect and intervene prior to there being any potential where the victimization of a child is the intent of any individual,” it said.