A disgraced Wisconsin prosecutor secretly recorded himself having intercourse with three girls, together with one he was prosecuting.
Daniel Steffen, 52, was an assistant district legal professional in Burnett County, Wisconsin, throughout his crimes. He was heard in at the least one of many recordings promising leniency in alternate for intercourse, in accordance with the felony criticism.
He was sentenced to 18 months in jail after he was convicted in April. He confronted a most of 10.5 years behind bars.
One of the victims – recognized in court docket paperwork as “Victim 1” – was the defendant in a felony case that Steffen was prosecuting.
“While the defendant and Victim #1 are nonetheless engaged in intercourse, the defendant appears to be like on the digital camera, sticks his tongue out, and winks a number of instances,” and could be heard repeatedly telling the sufferer, “Who’s in cost?” the criticism mentioned.
Steffen’s unlawful escapades between 2018 and 2020 had been uncovered after a witness instructed investigators that “Victim 1,” “brazenly talked about having sexual relations with a Burnett County ADA in alternate for leniency on felony instances.”
The girl was in court docket after violating an order of safety in opposition to her baby’s father. She in the end needed to pay a high quality.
“Victim 1” initially denied having relations with Steffen whereas she was being questioned by investigators, however later admitted to it after they instructed her she was seen in a recording on Steffen’s iPad, which was seized as proof, court docket paperwork mentioned.
Steffen gave her his private cell hone quantity, they usually texted for a few days earlier than he invited her to his house, the place that they had intercourse “a number of” instances, in accordance with the felony criticism. They additionally had intercourse at his workplace throughout work hours.
The recordings had been from Feb. 11, Aug. 8 and Sept. 11, 2018, and, “It doesn’t seem that VICTIM #1 knew she was being recorded,” in accordance with the criticism.
Similar actions had been detailed about one other sufferer, whom he instructed might keep away from prices for hitting a mailbox.
Again, the sufferer didn’t know she was being recorded, in accordance with the felony criticism.
St. Croix County Circuit Judge Scott Nordstrand handed down the sentence.
In addition to his jail time, Steffen should serve two years of prolonged supervision, 4 years of probation and placement for 10 years on Wisconsin’s intercourse offender registry.
