Former foster father sentenced to 25 years

Reed, 65, committed acts about two decades ago

By Jason Arndt
Editor

A former foster father convicted of sexually assaulting boys under his care received 25 years in prison at a June 7 sentencing hearing in Kenosha County Circuit Court.

Gary M. Reed, 65, who pleaded guilty to two of four charges at an April 12 hearing, will also face 15 years extended supervision upon his release, online court records show.

Gary Reed

Reed, who initially pleaded not guilty at a March 14 preliminary hearing, was accused of committing the acts in both the Village of Twin Lakes and Town of Randall about 20 years ago, according to a criminal complaint.

Reed eventually entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors on April 12, when two charges were dismissed, according to Deputy District Attorney Angelina Gabriele.

As part of the agreement, Reed was found guilty of repeated sexual assault of the same child and first-degree repeated sexual assault of the same child.

“The remaining two counts (not plead to) will be read in at sentencing, meaning that the court will consider them as having occurred and will consider Mr. Reed guilty of those,” Gabriele said in late April.

However, Gabriele said Reed would not be sentenced separately for those counts.

According to Gabriele, the sentence for the first charge, which was filed last year, carried a maximum imprisonment of 40 years.

That charge, according to online court records, had its sentencing withheld, but he will receive 10 years extended supervision following completion of his 25-year sentence.

For the other count, which came in February, he could see at most 60 years, with 40 years initial confinement.

Multijurisdictional effort
Reed, now of Manitowoc, became the subject of a complaint filed with the Village of Twin Lakes Police Department late last year.

According to the complaint, Reed allegedly committed the acts about 20 years ago when he lived in the village.

The now 37-year-old victim, the complaint contends, told the police detective that Reed assaulted him when he was 13 years old and continued for another four years.

The victim, who said there might be other victims, said Reed assaulted him two to four times per week.

Reed allegedly coerced the victim into performing sexual acts through intimidation. The victim told police Reed would often say his home was the last place he could stay and if he didn’t, he “would end up in a halfway house or other terrible place.”

Through a coordinated phone call with authorities, Reed allegedly admitted to the crimes in a conversation with the victim, according to the complaint.

The detective, who learned Reed also lived in the Town of Randall, contacted Kenosha County Sheriff’s detectives on Nov. 16.

After the now-37-year-old came forward, three others followed, which brought additional charges against Reed.

In December, two more victims reportedly told authorities Reed committed similar acts against them, according to a Dec. 28 criminal complaint.

According to the first victim, who is also 37 years old, he moved in with Reed after reporting “troubles with his father and was living in a shack.”

The complaint alleges Reed coerced the second victim, who was 16 at the time, into performing sex acts in exchange for wine and allowing him to smoke cigarettes.

The third victim, who was 11 or 12 years old when he moved into the Reed home, told authorities Reed’s alleged acts started after his wife moved out of their Town of Randall residence about two years later.

A fourth victim later emerged, telling authorities he faced similar issues, according to the criminal complaint.


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