Colfax man convicted of child sex crimes, sentenced to 14 years in prison released

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE — A former Colfax man sentenced in 2013 to 14 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision for sex crimes related to minors was scheduled to be released in Menomonie on October 8.

According to a release from the Menomonie Police Department, Michael L. Fodness, who will turn 57 years old October 20, would be homeless upon his release and will be placed on intensive supervision with GPS monitoring and geographic restrictions to Dunn County.

During a sentencing hearing in Dunn County Circuit Court in November of 2013, Judge William C. Stewart noted that Fodness had a “hard-partying” lifestyle for more than 20 years, that he was manipulative and that he was a predator of young women aged 14, 15 or 16.

Because of Fodness’s longevity of conduct and his character, there was a need to protect the public, the judge had said.

Judge Stewart also had ordered that Fodness register as a sex offender for life.

In the three year period prior to the sentencing hearing in November of 2013, the Fodness case had been scheduled to go to a jury trial four different times. A jury trial for Fodness in Ladysmith in February of 2013 ended on the second day when Judge Stewart declared a mistrial.

In May of 2011, Fodness had asked for a change of venue in the case. Judge Stewart granted the change of venue because of the number of potential alleged victims and their family members. The court district’s chief judge and the district court administrator had selected Rusk County as the location for the Fodness trial. 

Guilty plea

Fodness pleaded guilty in September of 2013 to one felony count of child enticement by giving or selling drugs as part of a plea deal with the Dunn County district attorney’s office.

The remaining multiple charges of child enticement, sexual assault, intimidating a witness, repeated sexual assault of a child, sexual assault of a child 16 years or older and bail jumping were dismissed but were read in at the time of sentencing. 

During testimony for other acts evidence, a number of victims testified, and it was more than a few, Judge Stewart had said

The judge noted that it was the first time in his career that he had ever seen investigators writing down more names of alleged victims during testimony.

The testimony by other alleged victims and the number of other uncharged crimes or previously charged crimes indicate a pattern of behavior of enticing young juvenile females with a controlled substance and then having sex with them, according to Andrew Maki, Dunn County assistant district attorney, at the 2013 sentencing hearing.

Fodness, who was 46 at the time of sentencing, had exploited young girls since he was in his early 20s. In the past, Fodness had been on probation six times, had his probation revoked two times and had been in prison on three different cases, Maki had said, noting that Fodness has an anti-social personality disorder and minimizes his own behavior and places the blame on others. 

Fodness, who was being held on a $100,000 cash bail, received credit for time served in the Dunn County Jail for 1,109 days.

Menomonie P.D.

According to the release from the Menomonie Police Department, Wisconsin State Statute 301.46(2m) authorizes law enforcement agencies to inform the public of a sex offender’s release or relocation when, in the discretion of the agency, the release of information will enhance public safety, awareness, and protection. 

“Sex offenders have always lived in our communities, but it was not until the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry and the Community Notification Law was enacted that law enforcement was able to share this information with the community. Citizen abuse of this information to threaten, intimidate, or harass registered sex offenders will not be tolerated … This offender has served the incarceration sentence imposed on him by the courts. He is not wanted by the police at this time. This notification is not intended to increase fear; rather, it is our belief that an informed public is a safer public,” according to the release.

If you have questions regarding this release, you may contact: Trudy Meister, Sex Offender Registry Specialist at (608) 240-5830, or Probation Agent Paul Gilbertson at (715) 232-1159.

The Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry is located at www.appsdoc.wi.gov/public.

Halloween message

The sex offender website has this message posted —

“Halloween Message: Registered sex offenders under Active Community Supervision by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections are prohibited from participating in Halloween activities.

“If you believe a registered sex offender, who is under Active Community Supervision according to this Web site, is participating in Halloween activities you can report the information to the SAFE tip phone hotline at 1-877-234-0085 which is answered Monday through Friday between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Registered sex offenders having Terminated status are not on state supervision and are therefore not subject to this restriction.

“For tips on how to help keep your children and yourself safe during the Halloween season and all year long, please see our ‘Staying Safe’ brochure found on this Web site. If there is immediate danger to a child, yourself or others, you should call 911.”