Baumhardt, 30, is convicted of misconduct, sexual assault
By Jason Arndt
Editor
Former City of Burlington police Sgt. Matthew Baumhardt avoided trial on Tuesday when he pleaded no contest to charges of sexual misconduct while on duty.
Baumhardt, 30, who previously pleaded not guilty at a November arraignment, now faces a June 17 sentencing hearing in Racine County Circuit Court.
Initially, Baumhardt was charged with two counts of third-degree sexual assault and one count of misconduct while on duty.
Under the plea agreement, however, Baumhardt was convicted of two felony counts of misconduct while on duty and two misdemeanor charges of fourth-degree sexual assault.
Phone calls and emails to special prosecutor Angelina Gabriele of the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office were not returned prior to deadline for this story.
Gabriele was appointed as special prosecutor to oversee the case in Racine County.
Baumhardt, the former police sergeant, resigned from the department on Aug. 23 amid an internal investigation.
Baumhardt’s plea agreement involves an incident last July, when he was accused of having sex while on duty with an intoxicated woman he was supposed to be helping, according to the criminal complaint.
The complaint contends Baumhardt, who was working the overnight shift on July 28-29, encountered the intoxicated woman, who had attended a wedding with her boyfriend, but left him after the two had a disagreement.
The woman was shoeless and crying when she asked Baumhardt to give her a ride a home to Waterford, according to the complaint.
Baumhardt, who allegedly told the woman he couldn’t drive her home because she lived out of his jurisdiction, then asked the woman her name and allegedly groped her while patting her down.
Baumhardt, the complaint alleges, then drove the woman to the city’s former wastewater treatment plant at 640 S. Pine St. where he allegedly had sex with her.
To read the entire story see the March 14 edition of the Burlington Standard Press.
-
-
-
-
-