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Yes.

In 2020, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford sentenced Kevin D. Welton to four years in prison after a prosecutor requested 10.

Welton was charged with touching a 6-year-old girl’s privates in a club swimming pool in 2010 and with twice touching a 7-year-old girl’s privates in the same pool on one day in 2018.

Welton was convicted of three felonies, including first-degree sexual contact.

Crawford and Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel are running in the April 1 Wisconsin Supreme Court election.

An ad from an Elon Musk–funded group said Crawford could have imposed 100 years.

A 100-year maximum was allowed, but highly unlikely, given the prosecutor’s request. Welton’s lawyer requested probation.

Crawford said the crimes occurring years apart made Welton a repeat offender, requiring prison, but were less serious than other sexual assaults, and 10 years was longer than needed for rehabilitation.

Welton’s appeals failed. Released in January 2024, he is on extended supervision until 2030.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

• Wisconsin Circuit Court Access: Dane County Case Number 2018CF001563 State of Wisconsin vs. Kevin D Welton
• Building America's Future: Susan Crawford's Dangerous Decisions
• Wall Street Journal: Elon Musk Gave Tens of Millions to Republican Causes Far Earlier Than Previously Known
• New York Times: Republican Operatives Function as Hidden Hand Behind Pro-Trump Efforts
• Wisconsin State Journal: Middleton man convicted of child sex assaults in athletic club pools
• WMTV-TV: Middleton man found guilty of sexually assaulting children in gym pool
• Wisconsin Right Now: Criminal complaint against Kevin D. Welton
• Wisconsin Court of Appeals: State v. Welton (2024)
• Wisconsin Department of Corrections: Kevin D. Welton movement
• Wisconsin Department of Corrections: Kevin D. Welton status
• Milwakee Journal Sentinel: What to know about the sexual assault cases Brad Schimel is criticizing Susan Crawford over
• Wisconsin Watch: Two couples sue former UW child abuse doctor for alleged misdiagnoses
• Wisconsin Republican Party: Susan Crawford can’t be trusted to use sound judgment and protect Wisconsin communities
• WisPolitics: Schimel campaign: New ad exposes Susan Crawford for coddling a child molester

Did Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford sentence a child sex offender to four years after a prosecutor requested 10? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.