The Ladysmith Police and Fire Commission will meet in closed session on Wednesday this week to review allegations that a 10-year veteran of the city's police department sent inappropriate text messages of a sexual nature to a 16-year-old high school girl.
Police Chief Dean Meyer said patrol officer Troy Guthman has been suspended with pay pending an investigation. Meyer added the allegations involve possible off-duty conduct and are not work-related.
"Troy is suspended pending the outcome of the internal investigation," Meyer said. "Nothing we found was on-duty conduct."
Guthman allegedly sent at least three text messages using his personal cell phone to the Ladysmith High School girl, according to Meyer. He said the girl reported the text messages to a school guidance counselor, who informed officials.
He declined to state what the messages said.
Meyer said the department has policies and procedures dictating both on and off-duty conduct for its officers. He also said possible discipline facing Guthman includes additional suspension without pay and termination.
The allegations against Guthman were included in a motion filed last week in Rusk County Circuit Court by the attorney for Peter J. Ollinger, who was scheduled for a jury trial April 21-23 on four counts of alleged sexual misconduct. Both Guthman and the girl he had text messaged were scheduled to testify as witnesses in the trial.
Ollinger's attorney Carol A. Conklin questioned Guthman's credibility as a witness in the trial. She filed a motion in circuit court last week alleging any testimony by Guthman "may be biased if allegations against him are valid.
Conklin also stated in the motion that "Guthman's credibility is at issue if the allegations against him are valid." She also requested access to Guthman's personnel file including any and all school records, notes, e-mails and memos.
In the motion, Conklin said "On April 1, 2009, Guthman is currently suspended due to allegations he has been sending text messages of a sexual nature to [the girl]."
The girl is identified only by her three initials in the motion.
A verbal motion made last Thursday by Rusk County District Attorney Kathy Pakes in circuit court to dismiss the charges against Ollinger, 29, was granted without prejudice. Charges could be filed against Ollinger again in the future, but currently all charges against Ollinger in this case have been dismissed, they have not been proven and he is presumed innocent.
Meyer, who will present evidence to the commission in closed session about Guthman's text message contacts with the girl, said the Ollinger case and the Guthman investigation are not connected other than the officer and the girl were both scheduled to testify during the Ollinger trial.
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-textmessages-witn,0,1801948.story
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