Man pleads to reduced counts in sex case

An Antigo man arrested nearly two years ago on allegations of attempted sexual assault of a 15 year old pleaded no contest to reduced charges Friday.

A sentencing hearing has been set November 26th for RODNEY B. FLEISCHMAN, 46, of 1804 Clermont Street on counts of reckless endangerment of safety, a felony, and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.

Fleischman was originally charged with two felony counts - Attempted sexual assault of a child under the age of 16 and use of a computer to facilitate a sex crime. The ammendments were made through a plea agreement reached between District Attorney Ralph Uttke and defense counsel Steven Kohn.

According to court documents, Fleischman was arrested Sept. 9, 2011 when he went to Mueller's Lake at Polar in anticipation of meeting a 15 year old male.

Authorities said that a week prior, an undercover sheriff's investigator, posing as a 15 year old boy from the Wausau area "engaged in a text message exchange of a sexual nature with the defendant, in which the 15 year old age was stressed."

A meeting was setup at the beach rest room between 4 and 5 p.m. on a Friday, and at 4:39 p.m., Fleischman arrived to find the law enforcement agents waiting.

According to the complaint, police first got notice that something may be amiss two years earlier when a mother reported concerns that her son was mixing with an older Antigo man and activities were suspicious.

The case heated up in April of 2011 when a father reported activities involving a friend of his son's and messages on social Internet sites suggested a meeting at an Antigo apartment that hinted at sexual activity.