For the Tomahawk Leader
MADISON – A Rhinelander man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempting to persuade and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Richard M. Duellman, 43, was arrested in July 2020 after chatting with an undercover detective posing as a 15-year old girl. After texting and speaking on the phone for several hours with a person he believed was a teenage girl, Duellman arranged to meet at a Rhinelander business that same day. He was taken into custody shortly after he arrived.
According to the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, during sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson “expressed his concern about the defendant’s criminal history and continued sexual interest in teenage girls, noting that a 10-yeare sentence was warranted to protect the public.”
His sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release.
The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, Rhinelander Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation were involved in Duellman’s arrest.