Advertisement
A criminal complaint was filed Tuesday in Crawford County Circuit Court against James Trentin, 58, of Prairie du Chien, charging him with 22 counts of second-degree sexual assault and six counts of delivering articles to inmates. His initial court appearance is April 7.
All of the acts happened at the Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution between July 2007 and January, and involved inmates in their late teens and early 20s, according to the 14-page criminal complaint filed by Vernon County District Attorney Tim Gaskell, special prosecutor on the case.
The inmates all reported Trentin performed oral sex on them numerous times after bribing them with contraband, including money, coffee, vodka and orange juice, chewing tobacco, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, candy and cologne, according to the complaint.
“If you continue to take care of me, I’ll take care of you. You won’t have any problems,” Trentin told one inmate, according to the complaint.
The incidents occurred in a prison telephone room, shower, custodial closet and cells, sometimes when Trentin was the only officer in the unit, according to the complaint.
Another inmate reported Trentin touched him over his clothes several times after the inmate refused an offer for oral sex.
Trentin denied the accusations during police questioning, Gaskell said.
Trentin started as a correctional officer at the institution in October 2000, said state Department of Corrections spokesman John Dipko. His job duties included security, monitoring inmates and providing transportation.
He has been on paid leave since Feb. 1, Dipko said.
“The Department of Corrections has zero tolerance for any staff sexual misconduct,” Dipko said. “The misconduct detailed in the allegations is certainly not reflective of the vast majority of the staff at the Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution or the Department of Corrections.”
Anne Jungen can be reached at (608) 791-8224 or ajungen@lacrossetribune.com.
