Judge deems man sexually dangerous

Published 10:28 am Thursday, July 31, 2008

A Mower County judge has institutionalized a fifth man to sex offender treatment after deeming him a sexually-dangerous personality.

Henry John Wilson was ordered to Moose Lake July 9 after a two-day hearing mid-June.

Court records say that there was “clear and convincing evidence” that Wilson, 48, engaged in a course of harmful sexual conduct, suffers sexual or personality disorders that constitute a mental disorder, has difficulty controlling his behavior, will likely reoffend and is a danger to others.

Email newsletter signup

Wilson was first sex crime took place May 13, 1989, when, at 27 years old, he abused a 14-year-old girl with a hearing disability. The abuse occurred once in his car.

A conviction for felony fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct occurred in Houston County; he was sentenced to two years probation and one year stayed jail time.

After he completed treatment and probation in 1991, Wilson molested a 7-year-old girl in May 1994. He pleaded guilty through Alford plea — meaning he maintains his innnocence but recognizes he could be found guilty — to second-degree criminal sexual conduct and received 25 years probation in 1995. The sentence included 24 months stayed prison time and one year in the Mower County jail.

His third conviction stemmed from abuse of a 6-year-old girl in May 1995. He received 36 months in prison following the conviction, through Alford plea again, for first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Wilson also admitted to sending explicit messages and naked pictures to an 11-year-old girl and her mother while incarcerated in 2000. During his treatment, he also said he’d victimized two others, and remains uncharged for those crimes.

Court documents said Wilson stated that he is not currently a pedophile, though was in the past because of his criminal history. He also said he was sexually abused by family members in his youth.

Records say Wilson testified that he was attracted to children because they are “little; pretty; facial features; part of it is innocence; being in control could be part of it.”

He blamed the abuse on feelings resulting from marital strife, and claimed he was asleep during one incident.

A sexually-dangerous person means someone who has engaged in a course of harmful sexual conduct that creates a substantial likelihood of serious physical or emotional harm to another; the person has a sexual, personality or mental disorder; and the person is likely to engage in harmful sexual conduct in the future.

A “sexual psychopathic personality” also falls under commitment guidelines.