Keshena man pleads guilty to sex offenses

Incidents involve minor, adult woman
By: 
Kevin Murphy
Correspondent

GREEN BAY — A Keshena man with a prior child sex conviction pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to sex offenses involving a minor and an adult female.

According to court documents, a 13-year-old girl accused Peter S. Awonohopay, 37, of sexually abusing her twice between July 4 and Aug. 15, 2018. The minor said Awonohopay came into her bedroom and lay on her bed. They were both facing the same direction.

The minor said Awonohopay took her pants and underwear down below her knees and also pulled his pants and boxer shorts down. He penetrated her anus with what she described as his “part.” She said it felt uncomfortable and she pulled away and got up, dressed and left the room.

The minor told a FBI agent and a Menomonee Tribal Police detective in November that on another occasion in the summer of 2018, Awonohopay got into bed with her and directly touched her genitals.

In an incident involving an adult female, Awonohopay, knocked on the door of a Keshena woman’s residence on the night of June 17, 2019, and entered after no one answered.

Awonohopay saw the woman, identified only as Jane Doe, laying on a mattress, according to court documents. Awonohopay pulled his pants down and then pulled the blanket off the sleeping woman. He then pulled her underwear down and touched her left buttocks. He tried to roll her onto her back in order to have sexual intercourse with her when she woke up.

After the woman awoke, Awonohopay said she yelled at him. He apologized, put on his pants and shoes, and left the house.

The woman reported the sexual contact to the tribal police telling them she awoke to the defendant, who was naked from the waist down and was dragging her to the bottom of her bed. She said she yelled at him and pulled a blanket back over herself while the defendant dressed and left.

The officer arrested Awonohopay a short distance from the woman’s residence and took him to jail, where he confessed, according to court documents.

Awonohopay was indicted in November for abusive sexual contact involving the Keshena woman, and in December, he was indicted on two counts of sexual abuse of a minor.

According to the plea agreement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Maier will recommend a 13-year sentence on the sexual abuse of a minor charge plus two years in prison on the abusive sexual contact charge at his June 23 sentencing before District Judge William Griesbach.

The defense can recommend a lesser sentence for Awonohopay.

He originally faced maximum penalties of four years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to lifetime supervised release on the abusive sexual contact charge. He faces maximum penalties of 10-30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to lifetime supervised release for each count involving sexual abuse of a minor.

Griesbach will consult advisory sentencing guidelines which factor in the seriousness of the offenses, any prior convictions and any other relevant conduct.

Griesbach sentenced Awonohopay in May 2006 to three years and five months in prison and three years’ supervised release for conviction of two counts of having sex with a minor. Awonohopay’s sentence also included a $2,000 fine and a $901 restitution order.

Griesbach subsequently revoked Awonohopay’s supervised release and in January 2011, sentenced him to two years in prison for violating conditions of his release including using Oxycodone, failing to make restitution payments and having unauthorized contact with a female under 18 years of age.

Awonohopay remains in custody until sentencing.