MERRILL — A 67-year-old Stevens Point man is accused of trying to pay for sex with a 15-year-old girl, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday in Lincoln County Circuit Court.
Leo Pelot faces charges of child trafficking, attempted sexual assault of a child and child enticement. An an initial appearance Thursday afternoon, Lincoln County Circuit Judge Robert R. Russell ordered Pelot held on a $100,000 cash bond. Pelot must also surrender his passport, computer, and any smartphone in his possession, according to court records.
Police say Pelot, using the name “John Crane,” arranged to meet a woman he thought was the aunt of the girl at a Merrill fast food restaurant and paid the woman $100 to have sex with the teen.
But the “aunt” turned out to be an investigator, and Pelot was taken into custody. He remains in the Lincoln County Jail. A preliminary hearing is set for March 27 for Pelot, who has no prior criminal record in Wisconsin.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department will hold a news conference on the case early Friday.
