By Shereen Siewert
A 30-year-old Rothschild man accused of trying to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex fled police and struck a captain’s vehicle before being taken into custody late last week, according to court records.
Police say Romaine E. Pershing, using the name “Roman Pershing,” began exchanging Facebook messages in November with a person he thought was a 15-year-old girl. The messages continued until the afternoon of June 28, when Pershing asked to meet up with the teen — and bring condoms — despite knowing her age.
On the way to the planned meetup in Rib Mountain on Friday, police intercepted Pershing, who was driving a black Chevrolet Silverado pickup. But when a Marathon County Sheriff’s captain tried to stop the truck, Pershing instead attempted to flee, striking the captain’s vehicle in the process. No one was injured and Pershing’s vehicle was stopped a short time later.
Police say they discovered a condom in the folding arm of the seat rest of the vehicle.
During an interview with police Pershing initially denied wanting to have sex with the teen but just wanted to “hang out” despite living with a girlfriend. When investigators asked him why he didn’t just want to “hang out” with his girlfriend, Pershing responded “yeah, with three kids and a cockroach infested apartment,” according to the report.
Eventually, Pershing allegedly admitted he intended to meet the teen for sex and fled when he saw squad cars at the planned meetup.
Pershing faces felony charges of child enticement, using a computer to facilitate a sex crime and fleeing an officer.
During an initial appearance Monday, Circuit Judge Greg Strasser ordered Pershing held on a $10,000 bond, the first $2,500 of which must be paid in cash. A preliminary hearing is set for July 10.
