By Shereen Siewert
WAUSAU — A 40-year-old Tomahawk man will avoid prison but will spend three years on probation for luring a person he thought was a 15-year-old girl to a Rib Mountain location for sex.
Police say Joseph C. Wagner spent about two weeks sending messages and explicit photos to the “girl” and asked for photos in return before arranging the October 2018 meetup. But the “teen” he expected to meet turned out to be an undercover police officer, according to court filings. Wagner was arrested and transported to the Marathon County Jail, where he was ordered held on a $5,000 cash bond until his case was resolved last month.
As part of a plea agreement, Wagner pleaded guilty to three counts of attempting to expose a child to harmful material. Five additional related charges were dismissed.
Circuit Judge Greg Huber passed down a withheld sentence, which means if Wagner does not successfully complete three years probation he will appear again and be subject to a new sentence that could include prison time. Huber also ordered Wagner to register as a sex offender, undergo counseling and treatment, and submit a DNA sample to be kept on file.
