How Could You? Hall of Shame-John Hanley UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Marshfield, Wisconsin, “a Marshfield man has been charged for sexually assaulting his foster children.

According to court records, 36-year-old John Hanley met with police and a social worker back in August. Hanley told them he had touched an 11-year-old while they were on the couch watching TV and he also touched a 2 and 4-year-old while they were in the shower. Hanley told authorities that he did it because he had been abused as a child and wanted to feel what it was like to be the aggressor.

Hanley has been charged with two counts of fist-degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 and one count of attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13. During his court appearance on Wednesday, Hanley had a $5,000 signature bond set against him. He also entered a not guilty plea to the charges.”

Marshfield Man Charged for Sexually Assaulting Foster Children

[Central Wisconsin Broadcasting 2/15/18 ]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update:”A 37-year-old Marshfield man convicted of molesting his foster children received a nine-month jail sentence Tuesday in Wood County Circuit Court.

John G. Hanley also received six years of probation for two counts of third-degree sexual assault of a child.  Hanley was convicted of the charges, which were reduced from two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child, on June 4.

Wood County Assistant District Attorney David Knaapen asked Wood County Circuit Judge Todd Wolf to sentence Hanley to 10 years in prison. The children who were placed in Hanley’s home were there for protection, Knaapen said. They had come from broken homes and were supposed to be in a stable and protected environment, he said.

One of the most troubling things is that Hanley said he didn’t molest the children for sexual gratification, Knaapen said. Instead, Hanley said he molested the foster children because he was molested himself as a child and wanted to know what it felt like to sexually assault a child, Knaapen said.

Hanley’s attorney, Gary Kryshak, said Hanley’s case was the most bizarre sexual assault case Kryshak has seen in his 42-year career. Police didn’t learn about the assaults from the victims, Kryshak said. Instead, Hanley contacted authorities because he felt he needed to confess his crimes.

“If John (Hanley) hadn’t said anything, we wouldn’t be here,” Kryshak said. “There was no report of sexual abuse by anybody.”

The case has been well reported, but no victims have come forward, Kryshak said. Hanley thinks what he did was wrong, but his actions were so small, that the children didn’t realize they had been victims, Kryshak said.

Hanley said he touched an 11-year-old foster child while the two were on a couch watching television and a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old while each child was in the shower, according to documents. He also admitted that he held down the 4-year-old on a bed after the child called him a name after the shower.

During Tuesday’s sentencing, Hanley apologized for his actions.

“I’m sorry for what I did,” Hanley said. “I can’t take it back; I can’t change it.”

Wolf said the only child who made a statement was a girl whose case was dismissed but read into the record. The 4-year-old boy obviously knew Hanley had done something wrong because of the name he called Hanley, Wolf said.

The assaults weren’t so overly egregious that the victims reported them, Wolf said.

Wolf stayed a sentence of five years in prison and five years of extended supervision. He placed Hanley on the maximum amount of probation allowed to ensure that Hanley gets counseling. Some incarceration is necessary, but treatment is more of the component Hanley needs, Wolf said.

Wolf ordered Hanley to begin serving his nine-month jail sentence immediately Tuesday. “

Marshfield man sentenced to nine months in jail for molesting foster children

[Wisconsin Rapids Tribune 8/7/18 by Karen Madden]