Former Monroe County Deputy Sheriff Charged with Abuse of a Resident of a Penal Facility

MADISON - David Schaldach, age 61, formerly a lieutenant for the Monroe County Sheriff's Department, has been charged with abuse of a resident of a penal facility. The complaint is based upon Schadlach's alleged sexual contact with a female being held in the Monroe County Jail, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today.

If convicted of all charges, Schaldach faces a maximum punishment of 5 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $10,000.

The criminal complaint alleges that Schaldach was a lieutenant with supervisory responsibilities for the Monroe County Jail. In August, 2002, Schaldach had sexual contact with a female inmate on at least two occasions. According to the complaint, the inmate suffered from a variety of mental health conditions at the time this sexual contact occurred. This matter came to the attention of Monroe County authorities in 2006 following Schaldach's deposition in an unrelated civil case.

The case was investigated by the Monroe County Sheriff's Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), and the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department.

The allegations in the complaint and described above have not been proven in a court of law. The defendant is presumed innocent, and the state bears the burden of proving the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The court has scheduled an initial appearance for Schaldach in the Monroe County Circuit Court on January 14, 2008.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Donald Latorraca and Gary Freyberg as special prosecutors for Monroe County.