Child molester who sparked legislation gets prison time
He had fled from work-release custody
By Mike Miller
A convicted child molester whose failure to return to jail while on
work release sparked the introduction of legislation on sex offenders
was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison to be followed by 18 years
of extended supervision.
Verne Hahn, 35, of Marshall, was also ordered to have no contact with
anyone under the age of 18 and to get treatment for his serious drug
and alcohol addictions in addition to treatment as a sex offender.
"My best judgment is there needs to be a lengthy prison sentence of
confinement," said Dane County Circuit Judge Daniel Moeser as he
ordered Hahn to prison for 14 years for first-degree sexual assault of
a child and added another year to that for Hahn's escape while on Huber
work release in February.
"On behalf of the entire court system I would like to apologize for Mr.
Hahn being able to walk away," Moeser said. "It shouldn't have
happened."
Hahn's three-day escape from custody, in which he went on a binge of
drinking and using cocaine, came about after an unusual set of
circumstances left him able to qualify for work release privileges even
after his conviction. Hahn was charged with three counts of
first-degree sexual assault of children last year and at the time was
on probation for a burglary conviction. His probation was revoked, and
he was sent to jail, where he was allowed out on work release during
the day.
Although he at first denied the sexual assault charges, Hahn eventually
admitted to his lawyer, Assistant State Public Defender Robert Burke,
that he repeatedly sexually assaulted an eight-year-old girl and said
he wanted to plead guilty. But Hahn also said he would only do so if
his bail on the sexual assault charge was not revoked, so he could keep
working while in jail until he was sent to prison.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Finley agreed to the plan, and when
Hahn entered his plea, the bail was not revoked. On Feb. 24 Hahn left
the jail to go to work, and while he was there, his fellow workers told
him of plans to buy drugs and to party over the weekend. Hahn said he
could get them a better deal on drugs, did so and joined the party. He
came back to jail on Monday morning.
That caused two state lawmakers to introduce legislation to prevent
courts from allowing sex offenders awaiting sentencing out on work
release and to mandate a minimum 25-year sentence in child sex assault
convictions. The legislation is pending.
Meanwhile, Hahn tearfully apologized to his victims Friday before being
sent off to prison, saying he was aware "there are a lot of hate-filled
eyes in this room" focused on him. Nobody, he said, "hates themselves
more than I do."
Hahn also said he was "sickened inside," when he assaulted the girl,
and added "I am morally disgusted and very ashamed for what I have
done."
Burke argued that more could be gained by having Hahn serve a short
prison term with a long, extended supervision so he could get treatment
for his drug and alcohol problems as well as his sex problems. "I
concede prison - confinement - is the court's only option," Burke said,
but urged Moeser to focus more on treatment than punishment.
Finley, meanwhile, asked for a 16-year prison term to be followed by 11
years of extended supervision, saying the case "cries out for
incarceration."
The mother of the eight-year-old victim asked Moeser to impose the
maximum sentence, 40 years in prison and 20 years of extended
supervision, and urged the judge to consider the long-term effects the
assaults will have on her entire family. "This has been a very long,
emotionally draining year for all of us," she said, adding that her
daughter was "violated in ways that will forever affect her."
The mother also said that Hahn's escape from work release caused
intense fears in her family, who thought Hahn might show up at their
home while he was on the lam from jail.
Burke and Finley both said Hahn's drug and alcohol habits led him into
numerous sexual escapades with adult women and men, ruining his
marriage, and finally ending with the assaults of the eight-year-old
girl and possibly other children.
Moeser also pointed out that, as in many such cases, "Mr. Hahn grew up
in a family with some dysfunction and with similar activity that he was
charged
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