Ex-Track & Field athlete pleads not guilty to 12 counts of child sex crimes, waives preliminary hearing

William Waterstradt, an ex-Marquette University student athlete, has plead not guilty to 12 felony counts of child sex crimes. The 21-year-old waived his right to a preliminary hearing and has a pretrial conference set for March 23, according to online court records.

Waterstradt is bound over for trial on the same 12 counts he was charged with, his lawyer, Jonathan LaVoy, told the Marquette Wire in a statement. The defense entered a request for a bond reduction on Jan. 16, but Waterstradt’s cash bond is still listed at $500,000.

On Jan. 13 he was charged with:

• Three counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child
• Three counts of using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime
• Three counts of exposing genitals to a child
• Two counts of child enticement
• One count of child sexual exploitation

Each of the three counts of sexual assault of a child alone holds a prison sentence of up to 40 years and/or a $100,000 fine.

Waterstradt is being held in Langlade County Jail in northern Wisconsin. The former senior in the College of Communication has since left the university.

This story was written by Sophia Tiedge. She can be reached at sophia.tiedge@marquette.edu.