An Elkhorn man is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 10 after reaching a plea agreement in two felony cases – one for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl and another for having child pornography.
Neal R. Moss, 60, pleaded guilty July 3 in Walworth County Circuit Court to one of the two counts against him of possession of child pornography. He pleaded to guilty to a lesser charge in the sexual assault case – child enticement with sexual contact instead of first-degree sexual assault of a child. The lesser charge carries maximum penalties of 25 years in prison and $100,000 in fines. He faced up to 60 years in prison if convicted of the greater charge.
According to the criminal complaints, while investigating Moss for possession of child pornography, police discovered a non-pornographic photo of a now-14-year-old girl on Moss’ computer and questioned the girl’s mother, according to police. The girl’s mother said she and her children used to visit Moss at his Elkhorn home but stopped about two years earlier when the girl said Moss put his hand in the back waistband of her pants, according to the complaint.
Police spoke to the girl, who said she and her sister went to Moss’ home numerous times before her 11th birthday to be babysat by Moss and his wife. On two occasions, she said, Moss put his hand down her pants and touched her buttocks, according to the complaint. On one occasion, while looking at Moss’ family photos on his computer, she saw a pornographic picture of an adult man with children, according to the complaint.
