By Erica Irish
The Statehouse File
STURGEON BAY, Wis. — Former Franklin College president Thomas Minar waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday to review 12 counts of child pornography possession brought against him by Wisconsin law enforcement.
Minar was first arrested Jan. 6 at a McDonald’s restaurant in Sturgeon Bay, a resort town in Door County, Wisconsin. Police said he intended to meet an undercover police officer he believed to be a 15-year-old child after chatting with the officer on the dating app Grindr. Court documents show Minar exchanged sexually explicit messages and photos with the officer before meeting in person.
When arrested, police charged him with using a computer to facilitate a sex crime, child enticement and exposing a child to harmful materials and narrations. Minar told police during his arrest he intended to be a mentor to the child, and that he was seeking “conversation, education and friendship,” according to court records.
Police released Minar from custody on a $7,500 bond. He made a few court appearances throughout the winter and spring, but several court hearings were delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
