A 75-year-old former teacher in Wisconsin was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week for repeatedly sexually assaulting a student in the basement of a private school.
Anne Nelson-Koch will then be supervised by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) for 15 years following her release from prison.
Court documents show Nelson-Koch was charged in April 2022 with forcing the 14-year-old student to repeatedly engage in both oral and anal intercourse during school hours throughout the 2016-2017 academic year.
After days of trial testimony in July 2023, a Monroe County jury quickly returned guilty verdicts on all 25 child sex crimes against Nelson-Koch. She then faced a total maximum prison sentence of 624 years consisting of a maximum 373 years confinement in prison and 251 years supervised release.
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Following her felony convictions, Nelson-Koch was released into the community to await sentencing, over the prosecution’s objection.
The DOC recommended Nelson-Koch be sentenced to 24 to 32 years in prison, followed by 20 to 24 years extended supervision.
Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Sarah Skiles, who handled the prosecution of the case, argued Nelson-Koch should be confined in prison for 100 years and then supervised for an additional 60 years. Skiles said the damage that Nelson-Koch’s appalling actions caused could not be undone but could be accounted for through a just sentence.
Skiles attacked Nelson-Koch’s lack of repentance or remorse, calling Nelson-Koch’s virtuous masquerade “a calculated attempt to conceal her predatory tendencies.”
Skiles argued 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, saying there should be meaningful accountability for offenders when a victim summons the courage to report an abuser and undergoes the excruciating experience of testifying at trial.
She said it was imperative the public be protected from Nelson-Koch.
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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 victim’s father asked for justice and a sentence that would confine Nelson-Koch, age 75, for the rest of her life.
Judge Radcliffe subsequently imposed the 10-year prison sentence followed by 15 years of supervision. As he imposed the sentence, Judge Radcliffe observed the sexual assault of a child is one of the most serious crimes in the criminal justice system. He told Nelson-Koch that she used her position of power over the victim to meet her own needs, recognizing Nelson-Koch was an authority figure trusted by the victim. The judge extended his gratitude to the victim for his courage, commending him for being “a leader of his family and community.”
Judge Radcliffe said Nelson-Koch’s impact on the victim and his family was an aggravating sentencing factor while Nelson-Koch’s character was a mitigating one, remarking Nelson-Koch is “nice,” “selfless,” “giving,” and “hardworking.”
The judge commented 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.”
Nelson-Koch was taken into custody following sentencing to begin serving her sentence.
After sentencing, ADA Skiles praised the investigative efforts of the Tomah Police Department: “We are grateful for the tireless efforts of Investigator Paul Sloan who is devoted to the challenging work of protecting the children in our community from sexual assault and abuse. A sexual predator has been held accountable for her heinous actions and will not be a threat to our community for the next 10 years. There is no higher priority for this office and our law enforcement partners than protecting children. We will spare no resource to make sure the full weight of the justice system is brought to bear on those who victimize our children.” Skiles also commended the victim, “I applaud him for his bravery. Without his courage, Nelson-Koch would still be in the community.”
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