By Shereen Siewert
A 29-year-old Wausau man who planned a sexual meetup with a 15-year-old girl was sentenced this month to four years in prison, followed by seven years of extended supervision.
Court records show Jesse Gayle, a Wausau man with no fixed address, had been communicating online for about five days with a 15-year-old girl in May 2019. Despite being repeatedly reminded of her age, police said, Gayle continued to have sexually inappropriate conversations with her, eventually arranging to meet her in a parking lot for sex.
Police had Gayle under surveillance, however, and arrested him before he met with the girl. Investigators were able to easily identify Gayle due to his “unique appearance,” court documents state.
When Gayle was taken into custody, he admitted planning a so-called “hit-and-miss” sexual encounter with the girl, meaning he wanted to have sex with her once and never see her again, court documents state. Gayle went on to explain that he has “no respect for women” after they have sex with him, according to the police report, but planned to take the girl into nearby woods or a place he called “Hobo Park.”
He was charged May 17, 2019 and remained jailed on a cash bond.
Gayle was sentenced July 30 in Marathon County Circuit Court after pleading guilty to child enticement, along with battery, theft and drug charges in separate cases.
Judge Mike Moran dismissed additional charges as part of a plea agreement, but read the charges into the record.
In addition to his prison sentence, Gayle is required to undergo mental health treatment and is prohibited from using electronics or the internet. Judge Moran also ordered Gayle not to have unsupervised contact with anyone younger than 18.
