Sheboygan, WI (WHBL) - Wolfgang Schrauth showed up at a sex offender residency request hearing Wednesday night with a purpose – to voice his concerns about Mitchell Pask.
Pask (seen above) was one of four men whose requests were being considered by the Sheboygan Public Protection and Safety Committee. But, his case dominated the discussion.
First, there was the reading of Pask’s previous convictions which include; first degree sexual assault of a 12 year old boy (who was a stranger at the time of the encounter) in 1991, fourth degree sexual assault of a woman whom he is accused of touching inappropriately, then kissing her without consent. He was also accused of trying to lure a nine year old girl into a bathroom – using candy as bait.
No sooner than the reading of the petition was complete, Schrauth erupted with his alleged first-hand knowledge of Mitchell Pask. Speaking as a former probation supervisor, Schrauth claims that Pask was difficult to supervise and keep tabs on. “I supervised him weekly, and it is my belief that there will be another victim with Mitchell – considering who he is. He will offend again. It doesn’t matter where he is staying, the likelihood for him to re-offend is high,” he told the panel.
The panel weighed the options available to them to either grant the waiver request, or to deny it. In the end they voted to approve the waiver as the only means of strictly monitoring Pask’s whereabouts, and behavior.
Sheboygan Common Council Alderman Daryl Carlson, who is on the panel, notes that the only alternative would be to deny the waiver which would mean Pask would essentially be homeless once released from prison. That for Carlson and the rest of the panel was unfathomable- leaving a high level registered sex offender at large. The panel overwhelmingly approved the waiver request. Alderwoman Suzzie Lessard cast the only no vote.Schrauth concedes that this outcome -which includes electronic monitoring, random drug and alcohol tests, and a very strict curfew, beats the alternative.
Brian Kuhfuss did not attend the hearing for his waiver request which resulted in an automatic denial. The waivers of Andrew Kershner and Luis Santillan were both granted.