Novotney reaches plea deal on 3 of 13 counts

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE  —  A 46-year-old Boyceville man charged with 11 felonies and two misdemeanors related to the sexual assault of teenaged boys has reached a plea deal in Dunn County.

Christopher J. Novotney, along with his attorney, Matthew Krische, appeared in Dunn County Circuit Court September 1 before Judge James Peterson and entered a plea of no contest on three of the charges.

Judge Peterson accepted Novotney’s plea and found him guilty on two felony counts of the repeated sexual assault of the same child and one felony count of exposing a child to harmful material.

Judge Peterson dismissed the remaining charges but ordered them entered into the record for sentencing.

Novotney was charged in connection with incidents that had happened at his home on county Highway K in the Town of Stanton regarding sexual contact with a number of teenaged boys.

According to online court records, Novotney was charged with three felony counts of second degree sexual assault of a child; two felony counts of the repeated sexual assault of the same child; one felony count of exposing genitals to a child;  two felony counts of causing a child aged 13 to 18 to view sexual activity; three felony counts of exposing a child to harmful material; and two misdemeanor counts of fourth degree sexual assault.

The repeated sexual assault of the same child, which involves at least three violations of first or second degree sexual assault, is a Class C felony that carries a maximum penalty of a fine of up to $100,000 and/or 40 years in prison.

Judge Peterson noted that part of the penalty for the Class C felonies could include lifetime registration as a sex offender and lifetime supervision.

The charge of exposing a child to harmful material is a Class I felony, which carries a potential penalty of a fine of up to $10,000 and/or three years and six months in prison.

The penalty for the Class I felony also could include lifetime registration as a sex offender and lifetime supervision, Judge Peterson said.

Novotney has remained in custody on a $50,000 cash bail set February 25.

According to the complaint, Novotney told investigators his wife had told him he was inappropriately touching people but that it was not true.

As the interview with investigators continued, Novotney began to talk about incidents that had happened at his home when he had sexual contact with a number of teenaged boys.

Novotney told investigators the alleged victims would watch “soft core” pornography and “R” rated movies at his home and would sometimes drink alcohol he had provided while they were watching movies, according to the complaint.

Investigators asked Novotney if he knew the ages of the victims that he had named, and Novotney told investigators they were all 16 or 17 and not old enough to drink alcohol.

Novotney said he would be drinking when the teenagers were present, and they would ask if they could drink, too, and he would allow them to have alcohol, according to the complaint.

Novotney told investigators he had started to have sexual contact with some of the teenagers about two years earlier.

At the September 1 court hearing, Judge Peterson ordered a pre-sentence investigation from the Department of Corrections.

Judge Peterson noted that attorneys often will request an alternative PSI, but Krische said he generally waits until the PSI has been finished and he has had a chance to read it to see if he wants to request an alternative PSI.

Judge Peterson set a deadline of October 14 for the PSI to be filed with the court.

A sentencing hearing in the Novotney case is scheduled for November 2 at 10 a.m.