Winnebago County denies defense motion
By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
A motion by Rev. Joshua Scheil’s defense to dismiss child enticement charges has been denied in Winnebago County Circuit Court Monday, and he is expected to be bound over for trial, according Deputy District Attorney Scott Ceman.
Scheil, a Twin Lakes pastor, faces charges of child enticement, using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime and causing a child under 13 to view sexual activity, all felonies.
“Scheil’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss,” Ceman explained. “We had that motion hearing this morning before the preliminary hearing and it was denied.”
If convicted, Scheil faces a maximum prison sentence of 71 years.
After the court denied the request, the pastor waived his right to a preliminary hearing, and will head to a jury trial.
Scheil, a Hope Lutheran Church pastor, was arrested on allegations he planned to meet a 13-year-old girl for a sexual encounter in Oshkosh April 12, according to a criminal complaint.
Hope Lutheran in Twin Lakes, which declined comment, has since removed his name from the church website and directories.
Scheil, 28, was in Oshkosh attending a pastor’s conference titled “Old Witness SWD, Confessing Christ for the Next Generation” at Best Western Waterfront Hotel, according to the criminal complaint.
In an April 18 hearing, Scheil was held on $10,000 bond, and according to online court records, he is currently staying at an Oshkosh extended stay hotel.
Scheil’s arrest stemmed from an undercover Child Enticement Operation by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Internet Crimes Division, who allegedly received an instant message from a “27-year-old white male from Wisconsin” identified as “Rev” March 1, according to the criminal complaint.
After the crime analyst identified himself as a 13-year-old female from Oshkosh, both parties agreed to continue the conversation on KiK Messenger, the complaint stated.
The analyst repeatedly identified himself as a 13-year-old female, the complaint added.
Leading up to his arrest, Scheil allegedly sent sexually explicit comments and images on multiple occasions, and told the analyst posing as Maddy that he will be in Oshkosh from April 11-13.
On April 12, he allegedly arranged a meeting with the undercover agent at Asylum Point Park, but was apprehensive, the complaint said.
“I want to make sure this isn’t some kind of sting,” Scheil allegedly said through the messenger app.
However, the complaint said he eventually met with the analyst and was resistant during the arrest.
When taken into custody, authorities seized a cellular phone that contained dialogue between “Rev” and “Maddy.”
“The defendant stated again that it wasn’t what officers thought it was and that it made him sick that people try to manipulate children,” the complaint alleged. “The defendant said that he was just trying to warn the child coming to the park today.”