Wisc. Teacher, 75, Gets 10 Years for 'Repeatedly' Sexually Assaulting 14-Year-Old Boy in School Basement
Anne N. Nelson-Koch, 75, kept up a "virtuous masquerade" in "a calculated attempt to conceal her predatory tendencies," police said
Tomah Police Department
A former Wisconsin teacher has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting a teenage boy in the basement of a private Baptist school.
Anne Nelson-Koch, 75, initially faced a maximum of 624 years behind bars.
But on Oct. 27, Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Richard Radcliffe handed down the decade-long sentence to Nelson-Koch, Monroe County District Attorney Kevin Croninger announced.
After her release from prison, she will be supervised by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for 15 years.
In April 2022, Nelson-Koch was accused by authorities of forcing the 14-year-old student to repeatedly engage in sex during school hours throughout the 2016-2017 academic year, according to a release from the Tomah Police Department.
Nelson-Koch was working at Tomah Baptist Academy when the assaults took place.
In August, a jury found her guilty of 25 counts of sexual assault of a child, child enticement, exposing genitals, exposing intimate parts and intimidation of the victim.
According to the criminal complaint obtained by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Nelson-Koch sexually assaulted the 14-year-old boy multiple times during the 2016-17 school year at the school.
The assaults stopped when Nelson-Koch left the school, the complaint said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In determining the sentence, the judge said Nelson-Koch’s impact on the victim and his family was an “aggravating factor,” according to the Tomah Police Department release.
However, he said Nelson-Koch’s purported character was a mitigating factor, describing the convicted felon as “nice,” “selfless,” “giving” and “hardworking,” the police department said in the release.
The judge said 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,” according to the police department release.
Assistant District Attorney Sarah Skiles, who handled the prosecution of the case, vehemently disagreed.
The ADA “attacked Nelson-Koch’s lack of repentance or remorse, calling Nelson-Koch’s virtuous masquerade ‘a calculated attempt to conceal her predatory tendencies,’” the police department said in the release.
She argued Nelson-Koch should serve 100 years in prison and then supervised release for an additional 60 years, the police department said in the release.
“Skiles said the damage that Nelson-Koch’s appalling actions caused could not be undone but could be accounted for through a just sentence,” the police department said in the release.
Skiles argued that 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,” the release said.
She also said it was imperative the public be protected from Nelson-Koch.
Victim Came Forward to Protect Others
During the sentencing hearing, the victim’s father said his son came forward publicly to make sure Nelson-Koch could not assault any other children, the police department said in the release.
He asked the judge for a sentence that would keep Nelson-Koch in prison for the rest of her life.
Judge Radcliffe subsequently imposed the 10-year prison sentence followed by 15 years of supervision.
Following her felony convictions, Nelson-Koch was released into the community to await sentencing, over the prosecution’s objection. But on Oct. 27, Nelson-Koch was taken into custody following sentencing to begin serving her sentence.
After sentencing, ADA Skiles praised the young victim, saying, “I applaud him for his bravery. Without his courage, Nelson-Koch would still be in the community.”
Nelson-Koch’s attorney could not be immediately reached for comment.
According to Nelson-Koch’s Facebook page, she was “in a relationship” as of Aug. 14, 2017.
A 1966 graduate of New Hampton High School in New Hampton, Iowa, her page says she studied medical office assisting at Purdue Global.
She started her job at Tomah Baptist Academy on Feb. 1, 2016, her Facebook page says.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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