WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A former Wausau pastor is admitting to sending sexually explicit messages to a team of activists conducting an independent sting operation.
Scott Patschke entered a guilty plea Tuesday in Marathon County court to charges of sending sexually charged messages to someone he thought was a 15-year-old boy.
The operation came together after a group called Impact set up the sting. They forwarded the information to Trinity Lutheran Church, who worked with Wausau Police to gather enough evidence for the charges.
Police say some of the messages involved nude photos and trying to arrange a meeting with the boy at the Rib Mountain Wal-Mart.
The 53-year-old previously pled not guilty to the charges back in October.
Patschke resigned shortly after the charges were brought forward. He faces up to 25 years in prison during his sentencing, which is scheduled for May 14th.
