A Kenosha jury returned a split verdict Wednesday against a former sheriff's department captain who'd been accused of having sex with a client at the group home he once co-owned with his wife.
Clarence Mielke, 74, now faces up to 80 years in prison after being found guilty of 2nd degree sexual assault of a mentally ill victim and 2nd degree sexual assault by an employee of a residential care facility. The jury deliberated about three hours.
Mielke was taken into custody by deputies almost immediately to await sentencing that was scheduled for May 24th. He had been free on bond.
There was little visible or audible reaction in the full courtroom when the verdicts were announced by Judge Chad Kerkman.
The jury delivered not guilty verdicts against four other counts, two of which pertained to Mielke having sexual intercourse with the victim. During the trial, Mielke's attorney said it would've been impossible for his client to have intercourse because of health issues.
The two guilty verdicts involved sexual contact. Two nurses had testified that they saw Mielke have what they thought was some type of sexual contact. In addition, a DNA expert linked Mielke's saliva to one of the victim's breasts.
In the hallway after court, Mielke's wife, Brenda, said she was disappointed by the verdict, telling a reporter that justice hadn't been served.
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