Forest couple charged with child sexual assault
By Cara L. Dempski
HUDSON — A Forest Township couple appeared in St. Croix County Circuit Court September 26 on allegations of second-degree child sexual assault after allegedly having sexual intercourse with a teenaged victim between September of 2015 and September of 2016.
William Randal Wuorenma, age 35, is charged with three counts of sexual assault of a child under 16 years of age. Amanda Lynn Catlin, age 34, has been in an intimate relationship with Wuorenma for the past six years, and is also charged with three counts of child sexual assault.
In addition, Wuorenma has been charged with one count of causing a child over the age of 13 to view or listen to sexual activity and one count of contributing to delinquency through acts or omissions.
Catlin is charged with one count of causing a child to view/listen to sexual activity, and is charged with one count of failure to protect a child. Public records indicate St. Croix County Judge Edward F. Vlack also signed an order on September 27 for Catlin to undergo a competency evaluation.
Wuorenma is currently being held in St. Croix County jail on a $25,000 cash bond, and Catlin is being held on a $20,000 cash bond.
According to the criminal complaint, St. Croix County Deputy Steve Drost responded to a September 21 call from Catlin, who was concerned the victim was sleeping in the same bed as Wuorenma. Catlin told Drost she had heard rumors the victim and Wuorenma were having a sexual relationship.
Drost spoke with both the alleged victim and Wuorenma. Both denied the allegations, and placed blame on the family dynamic between Catlin and Wuorenma.
Wuorenma’s ex-wife recently moved back to the area and had befriended the alleged victim. This person advised Sergeant Michael Dishno on September 22 she had learned of an alleged ongoing sexual relationship between the teenager and Wuorenma.
She and the teenager decided to speak to law enforcement about the alleged encounters with Wuorenma because it was “the right thing to do.”
While the teenager could not say how many times she allegedly had intercourse with Wuorenma, she estimated they had intercourse one to three times weekly. The alleged victim told Dishno she might have had intercourse with Wuorenma over 100 times.
Wuorenma reportedly initiated the relationship in late July or early August 2015, shortly after Wuorenma and Catlin moved into their current home.
A status hearing regarding the charges is scheduled for Catlin on October 27 at 10:15 a.m. A separate status hearing is scheduled for Wuorenma at 10:30 a.m. on October 31.
Second-degree sexual assault of a child is a class C felony, and is punishable by a fine of not more than $100,000, no more than 40 years in prison, or both. Failure to protect a child is a class F felony and carries a penalty of up to $25,000, up to 12 years in prison, or both.
Causing a child over the age of 13 to view/listen to sexual activity as a party to a crime and contributing to delinquency through acts/omissions are both class H felonies, and subject to fines of no more than $10,000, up to six years in prison, or both.
