The legal reckoning has come for Thomas Allen Burke, an ex-NFL player from Northwestern Wisconsin, who stands accused of the grave act of sexually abusing a child. His trial is slated to commence on January 23 at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Duluth. Burke, 47, of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, who once reveled in athletic glories, now faces the potential of significant time behind bars if convicted of these serious charges. He has entered a plea of not guilty and refuted all claims laid against him, as per Twin Cities Pioneer Press.
A criminal complaint has brought to light allegations that a 7-year-old victim, known to Burke, told her mother and then law enforcement that she had been molested by the former athlete on several occasions in St. Louis County. Twin Cities Pioneer Press detailed that the alleged abuses transpired in 2020, yet only surfaced to police in February of the subsequent year when the girl confided a harrowing "secret" to her mother. The complaint draws attention to the child's emotional distress, noting her initial reluctance to speak that eventually gave way to testimony of multiple invasive incidents, according to Twin Cities Pioneer Press.
During an interrogation, Burke firmly denied the accusations, alleging he was being "railroaded," the complaint further revealed. Despite his defiance, Burke found himself charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct in June 2021, an accusation that has now been compounded with a second-degree count this month, reported by Duluth News Tribune.
Defense attorney Chris Stocke has made a bid to dismiss the case on the grounds that the alleged victim might lack the competency to testify. The opposing counsel, Deputy St. Louis County Attorney Jon Holets, rebutted such claims, stating that even young children are presumed capable of providing truthful accounts in court. Judge Eric Hylden has put a hold on the request for dismissal but mentioned that he could revisit the issue when the child testifies. Stocke hinted that his defense might focus on proving an ulterior motive by the child and the mother to wrongfully accuse Burke of the alleged crimes, according to information obtained by the Duluth News Tribune.
