By Vicky Wedig
Editor
An Elkhorn man charged with sexually assaulting two boys in 2011 and 2004 died unexpectedly June 5.
Charges against Rodney J. Meiller, 52, were dismissed in Walworth County Circuit Court on June 11 in light of his death.
A jury trial scheduled for April 22 in the sexual assault case against Meiller had been delayed, and the state had moved to introduce other acts as evidence in the case May 13. The state responded May 31 to Meiller’s motion in limine – a request that certain evidence not be admitted in the case. Meiller died five days later.
The prosecution intended to introduce evidence in the case showing that Meiller had child erotica in his possession. According to court documents, Meiller’s telephone and computer were seized as evidence in the case, and an examination of his computer revealed images of children including young boys in their underwear in various poses, some of whom appeared to aroused.
Deputy District Attorney Josh Grube wrote a letter to the court April 12 expressing his intention to use that evidence at trial either to file additional charges of child pornography or as evidence to support “motive, opportunity, plan, intent or lack of mistake or accident” in the sexual assault charges.
Meiller’s defense filed motions in limine asking that such “other acts” not be allowed as evidence and requiring the state to show proof of the expertise of two witnesses it intended to call in the case – Walworth County Child Advocacy Center Coordinator Paula Hocking and Det. Robert Craig.
The state’s May 31 response asserted that Hocking has expertise in victims’ behavior including delayed disclosure and Craig has expertise in the computer images found in Meiller’s possession.
Meiller’s attorney, Jenelle Glasbrenner, declined comment about the cause of Meiller’s death.
The Walworth County Register of Deeds office declined to release Meiller’s death certificate, saying cause of death is no longer public record as of 2003.
Meiller was to be tried on three counts of repeated sexual assault of a child for allegedly assaulting boys at the Lake Geneva YMCA and at his home. Each charge carried a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison.
According to the criminal complaint:
Meiller allegedly assaulted an 11-year-old boy in a shower stall at the Lake Geneva YMCA 10 or 11 times. The boy said Meiller also touched him inappropriately at Meiller’s Lakeview Drive home where the boy would spend the night.
For the third count, a 14-year-old boy told police that in 2004 or 2005 – when the boy was 6 or 7 years old – Meiller had sexual contact with him at Meiller’s former duplex on Potter Road.
The boy said he stayed overnight at Meiller’s Lakeview Drive home nearly every Friday night until the summer of 2010, and Meiller would allegedly have sexual contact with him nearly every time they were together.
According to Meiller’s obituary, he owned and operated Cleaning and Restoration Consultants of Elkhorn for more than 30 years. He was a member of East Troy Bible Church East Troy, AWANA Club International and was a former member of the Elkhorn Rotary Club.
How is it that this man is caught and charged, but another man who moved out of state who molested two of his sisters was never confronted, charged and lives in different state and even the Walworth county Sheriff dept was provided with this information and did nothing with it, because “the victim has to come forward” I was the person abused by the man as well provided the information I knew and was entered as affadavit and still nothing – family covered it up as well…. need more informatioin – I am glad to provide and expose this horrible crime.