James Kropf will be rolling the dice with a jury trial after one of his attorneys reported Feb. 18 that there has no progress in reaching a settlement in his case.
Kropf was charged May 5, 2023, with second degree sexual assault of a child and incest with a child in relation to two incidents between September 2021 and April 2022 in Bowler.
Defense attorney Carly Krueger said she was looking for trial dates due to “defense logistics” of the case; she asked for the trial to be in July and expected it to last three days. The one available three-day slot in July did not work for the defense, so Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court Judge William Kussel Jr. set it for Aug. 12-14, with a final pre-trial hearing set for 3:30 p.m. Aug. 5 in Branch II of the Shawano County Courthouse.
Kussel also granted the defense’s motion to allow Kropf to travel out of state Feb. 21-23 from Bowler to Seattle, Washington, as a current condition of his bond requires court approval before he can leave Wisconsin.
According to the criminal complaint, a Shawano County deputy received a call from Child Protective Services regarding a 10-year-old girl in Kropf’s care. CPS reported the girl told them that Kropf touched her in the swimsuit area. The girl lives with her mother and has visitation with Kropf on weekends.
In an interview with the girl’s mother, the mother was allegedly surprised and unaware of the circumstances. She told law enforcement that visits with the Kropf are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are supervised by Kropf’s mother.
In an interview with the child, the child described two instances where Kropf touched her chest in an inappropriate manner. She stated that both of the instances took place at Kropf’s mother’s home. When wrestling on the ground, the child said that Kropf touched her chest over her clothes, and she told him to stop, which she also said Kropf mimicked. The child also described a similar situation for the second time it happened.
If convicted, Kropf faces up to $100,000 in fines and up to 40 years in prison. He is out on a $50,000 bond.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
Kropf sexual assault case going to trial
