Septuagenarian female teacher accused of sexually assaulting Wisconsin boy, 14, sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison with 15 years of supervised release

Anne Nelson-Koch, 74, faced up to 624 years for repeated assaults in basement of Baptist private school

The Wisconsin Dept Of Corrections had recommended Nelson-Koch be sentenced to 24 to 32 years in prison, followed by 20 to 24 years extended supervision

The prosecutor who lampooned ‘her virtuous masquerade’ as ‘a calculated attempt to conceal her predatory tendencies,’  argued for 100 years in prison for 100, then supervised release for an additional 60 years

Nelson-Koch worked at the Tomah Baptist Academy located in Tomah, Wisconsin during the 2016-2017 school year when the sex crimes occurred

During that time, she lured the teen to the school’s basement and forced him to perform ‘heinous sexual’ acts

She was convicted in July on 25 counts of repeated sexual abusing the boy, including sexual assault of a child, child enticement-sexual contact and exposing genitals/pubic area/intimate parts to a child

Nelson-Koch was taken into custody Friday,following sentencing to begin serving her 10 year prison sentence

Anne Nelson-Koch,  75, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the repeated sexual assault of a 14-year-old boy in the basement of a Wisconsin religious private school on Friday. She was convicted on over a dozen counts, including sexual assault of a child, child enticement-sexual contact and exposing genitals/pubic area/intimate parts to a child

A 75-year-old female teacher has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the repeated sexual assault of a 14-year-old student in the basement of a Wisconsin religious private school, six years ago.
Anne Nelson-Koch worked at the Tomah Baptist Academy located in Tomah, Monroe County, during the 2016-2017 school year.
During that time, she lured the teen to the school’s basement and forced him to perform ‘heinous sexual’ acts. Nelson-Koch was 67 at the time and the boy was 14.
The septuagenarian teacher’s aide was found guilty in August, on over a dozen counts, including sexual assault of a child, child enticement-sexual contact and exposing genitals/pubic area/intimate parts to a child.
She initially had been facing up to 600 years in prison. 
Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Richard Radcliffe imposed a 10-year-prison sentence followed by 15 years of supervised release. She was taken into custody following sentencing to begin serving her decade-long sentence.

The acts of child molestation happened at the Baptist Church and Academy in Tomah, Wisconsin, during the 2016-2017 school year  

She was also convicted on 25 counts of repeated sexual assaults. The sentences against her will run concurrently, Fox News reported.
After her release from prison she will then be supervised by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for 15 years.
Noting that the sexual assault of a child is ‘one of the most serious crimes in the criminal justice system,’ Judge Radcliffe stated Nelson-Koch ‘used her position of power over the victim to meet her own needs, recognizing she was an authority figure trusted by the victim.’ 
Judge Radcliffe expressed gratitude to the victim for his courage, commending him for being ‘a leader of his family and community.’
Radcliffe while conceding that defendant’s character, described as ‘nice,’ ‘selfless,’ ‘giving,’ and ‘hardworking,’ according to a press release posted on the Tomah Police Department’s Facebook page, would have been mitigating, said Nelson-Koch’s impact on the victim and his family was an aggravating sentencing factor.
A person with Nelson-Koch’s educational and employment history is ‘not someone who normally would be [seen] in the criminal justice system facing 600 years of prison,’ the judge noted.
According to Tomah Baptist Church Pastor Aaron Smith, who was not at the church during the time of the incident, said the defendant offender was not a teacher at the religious school but an aide, who had worked at the school for less than a year.
‘The abuse of children and individuals we do not support and oppose that behavior strongly,’ Smith said.
He added that ‘we are supporting the victim’s family and the victim.’ 

Tomah Baptist Academy is a small religious private school in Monroe County with a student body of 30-35 students. Nelson-Koch [photo] was 67, the boy was 14, when she lured him to the school’s basement and forced him to perform the ‘sexual’ acts, on multiple occasions

In April 2022, Nelson-Koch was charged with forcing the 14-year old student to repeatedly engage in both oral and anal intercourse during school hours throughout the 2016-2017 academic year,’ prosecutors said in the press release.
In July 2023, after five days of trial testimony, a Monroe County jury quickly returned guilty verdicts on all 25 child sex crimes against Nelson-Koch. 
She then faced a total maximum prison sentence of 624 years consisting of a maximum 373 years confinement in prison and 251 years supervised release. 
Following her felony convictions, Nelson-Koch was released into the community to await sentencing, over the prosecution’s objection.
The DOC recommended Nelson-Koch be sentenced to 24 to 32 years in prison, followed by 20 to 24 years extended supervision.
The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Sarah Skiles, argued Nelson-Koch should be confined in prison for 100 years and then supervised for an additional 60 years. 
Skiles said the damage that Nelson-Koch’s appalling actions caused could not be undone but could be accounted for through a just sentence. She attacked Nelson-Koch’s lack of repentance or remorse, calling her virtuous masquerade ‘a calculated attempt to conceal her predatory tendencies.’ 
The ADA argued a lengthy prison sentence was necessary to ensure the seriousness of the sexual assault of a child in a school and the pain endured by the victim were not discounted.
She further stated that there should be meaningful accountability for offenders when a victim summons the courage to report an abuser and undergoes the excruciating experience of testifying at trial. 
She also said it was imperative the public be protected from Nelson-Koch.
At the sentencing, the victim’s father gave an impact statement. 
He said, ‘his son came forward publicly to make sure Nelson-Koch could not assault any other children.’
The victim’s father then asked for justice and a sentence that would confine Nelson-Koch for the rest of her life.
After the judge handed down the sentence, Skiles said, ‘a sexual predator has been held accountable for her heinous actions and will not be a threat to our community for the next 10 years.’
Skiles also commended the victim, ‘I applaud him for his bravery. Without his courage, Nelson-Koch would still be in the community.’