DARLINGTON - A Blanchardville man already sentenced in January to prison for sexually assaulting a girl in Dane County was sentenced Tuesday for a separate child sexual assault conviction in Lafayette County.
Hunter Goebel, 21, pleaded no contest in November in Lafayette County Circuit Court to second-degree sexual assault of a child, a Class C felony. Two other charges in the case, another Class C felony count of second-degree sexual assault of a child and a Class D felony count of child enticement, were dismissed.
Judge Duane Jorgenson sentenced Goebel to six months in jail and six years on extended supervision, consecutive to his sentence in Dane County. In addition, the judge imposed and stayed a sentence of three years in prison and six years on extended supervision. The imposed and stayed sentence is only to be used if he violates his conditions of probation.
Conditions of Goebel's probation in Dane County include treatment, maintaining full-time employment or education and 20 hours of community service. He is prohibited from using social media, unless his probation agent approves it and has all of his logins and passwords. He is forbidden from having direct or indirect contact with the victim, her home or "any place she is occupying."
Goebel is also ordered to enter the Sex Offender Registry.
On Jan. 16, Dane County Judge Josann Reynolds sentenced Goebel to four years in prison and 10 years on extended supervision for sexually assaulting a teen girl in February 2017. Goebel pleaded guilty in that case. Other charges in the case, including child enticement, causing a child age 13 to 18 to view sexual activity and two additional counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child were dismissed but "read in," meaning the judge could consider them in her sentencing.
The Lafayette County case stems from an incident Oct. 24, 2015, when Goebel was 19. According to the criminal complaint, Goebel was visiting the home of a 14-year-old girl, and after her parents went to bed, began to kiss her and put his hand down her pants. She removed his hand. They went to a separate part of the home, where a condom was produced and he sexually assaulted her.
In court Tuesday, the father of the victim read a statement on behalf of his daughter, in which she stated that Goebel "ruined many years of my life." She wrote that she has struggled with depression and is on anti-depressants. Her only wish is that Goebel would "never have the chance to harm another young, vulnerable child during his lifetime."
Prosecutor Annie Jay, an assistant attorney general with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, recommended a sentence of five years of initial incarceration followed by eight to 10 years of extended supervision, citing the seriousness of the case and the defendant's need for supervision in the community.
Jay said she was shocked to see a pre-sentence investigation (PSI) recommendation of probation.
Probation wasn't "in the right hemisphere" of matching the crime, she said, adding that the PSI investigator did not understand the nonconsensual nature of the assault.
"This is nowhere even close to a probation case. The PSI writer seemed to greatly misunderstand the relationships between the parties, the nature of the defense and the extreme disparity in age and experience between the defendant and the victim," Jay said.
The assault was calculated, she said. Goebel went over to the victim's house with a friend the day before to hang out with the family, and after the assault, he asked for the victim's underwear.
"Ultimately, this defendant needs a prison sentence because we know from prior experiences in this county what happens when the defendant thinks he got away with a sexual assault - he goes out and does it again," Jay said.
Goebel's mother, sister, aunt and girlfriend all spoke on his behalf, praising Goebel as a hardworking, kind person who would help anyone in need.
"When he can be, he will be a valuable member of the community," his sister said. "We all make mistakes. Sadly, some (mistakes) you cannot erase or forgive, but we want to see our brother have a second chance."
Kris Fleming, a Lafayette County Juvenile Intake worker, said she was shocked when she found out Goebel was sentenced to prison in Dane County. Based on her interactions with Goebel during his bail monitoring, she said she felt the PSI recommendation of probation was appropriate.
Goebel's attorney, Jane Bucher, asked the court to consider three years of incarceration followed by two years on extended supervision, to run concurrent with his Dane County sentence. She said she had planned on recommending probation but revised that recommendation after hearing of his prison sentence in Dane County - a sentence that shocked her as well.
The prosecution's claim of an "extreme disparity in age" was inflated, Bucher argued. The legislature recognizes that cases in which a defendant's and victim's ages are similar are prosecuted differently, she said, adding that Goebel was being treated as if he was a 60-year-old who sexually assaulted a 15-year-old.
She noted the previous Lafayette County District Attorney did not even think the case needed to be prosecuted due to evidence of consent and the closeness in age between Goebel and the girl. Bucher read statements from a Lafayette County Sheriff's Office report in which the girl had initially told an investigator the sex was consensual.
"There is no public safety need to incapacitate Mr. Goebel any further than he's already been incapacitated by the Dane County courts," Bucher said. She mentioned that Goebel took responsibility for his actions and was very honest and straightforward with law enforcement.
Due to the sentencing in Dane County, he will be subject to a lifetime sex offender registry. Bucher said this was enough punishment for a 21-year-old man.
When given the opportunity to speak in court, Goebel tearfully apologized to the victim and her family.
"I know now how much one mistake can ruin a person's life. I know I have done wrong, and I am willing to show this is not the man I want to be in life," he said.
After a recess, Judge Jorgenson discussed the two divergent recommendations from the prosecution and the defense, adding that he was not "a fan" of either recommendation.
"The victim has been traumatized, injured and damaged at a very young age. In my mind, to do a concurrent sentence would diminish the reality of the crime that was committed here," Jorgenson said.
He challenged Goebel when he is released and most likely returns to the area to be "an upstanding young man" like his mother, aunt and other family members who defended him in court.
Hunter Goebel, 21, pleaded no contest in November in Lafayette County Circuit Court to second-degree sexual assault of a child, a Class C felony. Two other charges in the case, another Class C felony count of second-degree sexual assault of a child and a Class D felony count of child enticement, were dismissed.
Judge Duane Jorgenson sentenced Goebel to six months in jail and six years on extended supervision, consecutive to his sentence in Dane County. In addition, the judge imposed and stayed a sentence of three years in prison and six years on extended supervision. The imposed and stayed sentence is only to be used if he violates his conditions of probation.
Conditions of Goebel's probation in Dane County include treatment, maintaining full-time employment or education and 20 hours of community service. He is prohibited from using social media, unless his probation agent approves it and has all of his logins and passwords. He is forbidden from having direct or indirect contact with the victim, her home or "any place she is occupying."
Goebel is also ordered to enter the Sex Offender Registry.
On Jan. 16, Dane County Judge Josann Reynolds sentenced Goebel to four years in prison and 10 years on extended supervision for sexually assaulting a teen girl in February 2017. Goebel pleaded guilty in that case. Other charges in the case, including child enticement, causing a child age 13 to 18 to view sexual activity and two additional counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child were dismissed but "read in," meaning the judge could consider them in her sentencing.
The Lafayette County case stems from an incident Oct. 24, 2015, when Goebel was 19. According to the criminal complaint, Goebel was visiting the home of a 14-year-old girl, and after her parents went to bed, began to kiss her and put his hand down her pants. She removed his hand. They went to a separate part of the home, where a condom was produced and he sexually assaulted her.
In court Tuesday, the father of the victim read a statement on behalf of his daughter, in which she stated that Goebel "ruined many years of my life." She wrote that she has struggled with depression and is on anti-depressants. Her only wish is that Goebel would "never have the chance to harm another young, vulnerable child during his lifetime."
Prosecutor Annie Jay, an assistant attorney general with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, recommended a sentence of five years of initial incarceration followed by eight to 10 years of extended supervision, citing the seriousness of the case and the defendant's need for supervision in the community.
Jay said she was shocked to see a pre-sentence investigation (PSI) recommendation of probation.
Probation wasn't "in the right hemisphere" of matching the crime, she said, adding that the PSI investigator did not understand the nonconsensual nature of the assault.
"This is nowhere even close to a probation case. The PSI writer seemed to greatly misunderstand the relationships between the parties, the nature of the defense and the extreme disparity in age and experience between the defendant and the victim," Jay said.
The assault was calculated, she said. Goebel went over to the victim's house with a friend the day before to hang out with the family, and after the assault, he asked for the victim's underwear.
"Ultimately, this defendant needs a prison sentence because we know from prior experiences in this county what happens when the defendant thinks he got away with a sexual assault - he goes out and does it again," Jay said.
Goebel's mother, sister, aunt and girlfriend all spoke on his behalf, praising Goebel as a hardworking, kind person who would help anyone in need.
"When he can be, he will be a valuable member of the community," his sister said. "We all make mistakes. Sadly, some (mistakes) you cannot erase or forgive, but we want to see our brother have a second chance."
Kris Fleming, a Lafayette County Juvenile Intake worker, said she was shocked when she found out Goebel was sentenced to prison in Dane County. Based on her interactions with Goebel during his bail monitoring, she said she felt the PSI recommendation of probation was appropriate.
Goebel's attorney, Jane Bucher, asked the court to consider three years of incarceration followed by two years on extended supervision, to run concurrent with his Dane County sentence. She said she had planned on recommending probation but revised that recommendation after hearing of his prison sentence in Dane County - a sentence that shocked her as well.
The prosecution's claim of an "extreme disparity in age" was inflated, Bucher argued. The legislature recognizes that cases in which a defendant's and victim's ages are similar are prosecuted differently, she said, adding that Goebel was being treated as if he was a 60-year-old who sexually assaulted a 15-year-old.
She noted the previous Lafayette County District Attorney did not even think the case needed to be prosecuted due to evidence of consent and the closeness in age between Goebel and the girl. Bucher read statements from a Lafayette County Sheriff's Office report in which the girl had initially told an investigator the sex was consensual.
"There is no public safety need to incapacitate Mr. Goebel any further than he's already been incapacitated by the Dane County courts," Bucher said. She mentioned that Goebel took responsibility for his actions and was very honest and straightforward with law enforcement.
Due to the sentencing in Dane County, he will be subject to a lifetime sex offender registry. Bucher said this was enough punishment for a 21-year-old man.
When given the opportunity to speak in court, Goebel tearfully apologized to the victim and her family.
"I know now how much one mistake can ruin a person's life. I know I have done wrong, and I am willing to show this is not the man I want to be in life," he said.
After a recess, Judge Jorgenson discussed the two divergent recommendations from the prosecution and the defense, adding that he was not "a fan" of either recommendation.
"The victim has been traumatized, injured and damaged at a very young age. In my mind, to do a concurrent sentence would diminish the reality of the crime that was committed here," Jorgenson said.
He challenged Goebel when he is released and most likely returns to the area to be "an upstanding young man" like his mother, aunt and other family members who defended him in court.