Computer sex crime
A Seymour man has been charged with using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime after allegedly setting up a sexual rendezvous with what he believed would be a 15-year-old girl.
Cody A. Valek, 25, could face a maximum possible penalty of 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine if convicted.
Valek responded to an online ad supposedly posted by a 15-year-old girl but actually placed by Shawano County sheriff’s detectives as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Valek exchanged emails with the detectives that became sexually graphic in spite of his believing he was in contact with a 15-year-old, according to the criminal complaint. The online exchanges continued from April 18-21, when Valek arranged a meeting.
He was arrested when he arrived.
Valek waived his preliminary court hearing Wednesday and entered a plea of not guilty. He has a pre-trial conference scheduled for May 17.
He was ordered held on a $5,000 cash bond.
Arson/reckless endangerment
A Plano, Texas, man is accused of setting fire to a residence he owned in the village of Tigerton to defraud the insurance company, and recklessly endangering the lives of firefighters who battled the blaze.
Gary L. Hargrove, 56, could face a maximum of 40 years in prison and $100,000 fine if convicted of arson with intent to defraud; 12½ years and $25,000 for first-degree reckless endangerment; and three years and $10,000 for making a fraudulent claim.
Authorities responded to the fire on Cedar Street in Tigerton on Oct. 21. No one was home at the time, and firefighters were able to knock the fire down fairly quickly.
According to the criminal complaint, an investigation by the state Division of Criminal Investigation showed the cause of the fire to be “incendiary.”
A bench warrant and summons were issued Thursday for Hargrove to appear in court on June 5.
Injury/OWI
A Neopit woman is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Monday on felony charges of being intoxicated at the time of an alleged drunken driving hit-and-run.
Manih F. Waupoose, 29, is facing felony counts of hit-and-run involving injury and reckless endangerment.
Waupoose allegedly fled on foot from the scene of a two-vehicle crash at Airport Road and Homewood Avenue in the town of Wescott on April 29, according to the criminal complaint.
She then allegedly entered a residence on Homewood Avenue without permission, and the homeowners contacted authorities who located Waupoose at the residence.
Waupoose could face a maximum possible penalty of 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine if found guilty of second-degree recklessly endangering safety. She allegedly crossed the center line and narrowly missed another vehicle before striking the second car.
She also faces a possible maximum of nine months and $10,000 fine for hit-and-run causing injury.
She is also charged with misdemeanor counts of causing injury while operating under the influence, criminal trespass to a dwelling, resisting an officer and disorderly conduct.
She is being held on a $3,000 cash bond.