Seymour man bound over for trial in child sex assault case

A Seymour man was headed toward trial after Shawano-Menominee Circuit Court Judge Katherine Sloma ruled June 18 that prosecutors had shown enough evidence to move forward in the child sex assault case against Lawrence Fields, 64. Fields faces one count of first-degree child sex assault and one count of exposing genitals to a child.

The ruling cleared Wisconsin’s preliminary examination stage, where the court decides whether probable cause exists to believe a felony was committed.

The complaint alleges the incident happened around Labor Day while Fields was babysitting at a home in the Town of Belle Plaine. The child later told investigators Fields touched her inappropriately, exposed himself and told her not to tell anyone. Testimony at the June 18 hearing described allegations involving a girl who was 6 years old, and the testimony was enough for Sloma to bind the case over for trial.

Fields was arrested in Outagamie County and later transferred to Shawano County custody. He was being held in the Shawano County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond. The case now moves forward under the Shawano-Menominee Circuit Court, with continued scheduling and the formal run-up to trial.

Under Wisconsin law, first-degree sexual assault of a child in the circumstances described in the complaint is a Class A felony. Exposing genitals to a child for sexual arousal or gratification is a Class I felony.

Judge Sloma is listed by Shawano County as the circuit judge for Circuit Court I, with hearings held at the Shawano County Courthouse, 311 N. Main St. in Shawano. She was appointed in 2020 and elected to a six-year term in April 2021.