BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – An Appleton contractor has been arrested on multiple child sex crimes, including for the alleged sexual assault of a teen employee.
Charges have not been filed against Mitchel Killinger, 33, but probable cause was found in Brown County Court Wednesday afternoon.
Prosecutors claim there are at least three teenage girl victims in the case, but there could be more, including some boys.
Working out of an apartment above El Presidente restaurant in De Pere, prosecutors say Killinger was paying a 16-year-old girl $16 an hour to work there for a data entry job.
“He was always paying her in cash, then he began spending time with her, buying her gifts, buying her meals, buying her presents, always giving her cash, anywhere from $50 bills up to $200, $400, indicating he just wanted to spend time with her,” said Wendy Lemkuil, Brown County Deputy District Attorney.
Lemkuil says eventually the data entry the teen was hired to do went away. Around Christmas time, she says Killinger assaulted the teen in his apartment.
“She said that he said he’d give her $1,000 and he loves her and wants to show her how much he loves her.”
Lemkuil says there were several other incidents with the girl. And says Killinger also sent a nude picture to one of the victim’s 16-year-old friends.
“I have outlined these victims. There is another statement from another female victim and several other minor eye witnesses corroborating information.”
While the assault allegedly happened at his De Pere apartment, Killinger says he actually lives in a home he owns with his wife in Appleton. That’s where police say they found him hiding under a bed when they went to arrest him.
“I grew up in the system,” said Killinger, eluding to a criminal history that includes a 1999 fourth degree sexual assault charge as a juvenile. “I shouldn’t have hid under the bed.”
Killinger told the court he was blackmailed and provided evidence to De Pere Police. He didn’t elaborate, but asked the court commissioner to issue him a signature bond so he could be out of jail to find himself an attorney.
“It’s in the middle of winter, I’m in construction, so I’m struggling as it is and I’m also going through a bankruptcy.”.
Killinger says he is a licensed contractor, having owned his own business for the last eight years. His company is called Killinger Construction, according to a LinkedIn profile believed to belong to Killinger.
Killinger was issued a $10,000 cash bond and ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victims.
He’s due back in court next Wednesday. That is when charges are expected to be filed.
The recommended charges are Use of Computer to Facilitate a Child Sex Crime, Exposing Genitals to a Child, Comm. two counts of Harmful Desc. to Child-Know Age, 2nd Deg. Sexual Assault/Sex Organ Injury, 4th Degree Sexual Assault, and Child Enticement-Expose Sex Organ.
Meanwhile, the investigation is expected to continue to possibly identify other potential victims.
