Robert Gilkey-Meisegeier, the former dean at Sun Prairie West High School, has agreed to plead guilty in a serious federal case involving child exploitation. Court documents state that he engaged in improper communication with a student under 18 via social media platforms, including Snapchat and Instagram. WTMJ reports that, while employed at the school, Gilkey-Meisegeier arranged clandestine meetings during the school day and solicited explicit images for his own sexual gratification.
Under the reached plea agreement, Gilkey-Meisegeier will plead guilty, with two additional charges related to child pornography possession and production being dismissed, as per court documents. Yet to be officially scheduled are a plea hearing and a sentencing date for the federal case. On top of this federal case, Gilkey-Meisegeier faces separate charges in Dane County, which include multiple counts of child pornography possession and child sexual exploitation, with a scheduling conference set for March 18, according to Spectrum News.
The plea deal, as filed this past Tuesday with the U.S. Western District Court, could see Gilkey-Meisegeier serving a sentence between 15 and 18 years in federal prison, but acceptance of the deal still awaits the decision of a federal judge. The charges arise from incidents where he allegedly requested and received nude photographs and a video from a student at the high school. It was in August 2025 when a grand jury indicted Gilkey-Meisegeier on these federal charges, reported by HNG News.
While Gilkey-Meisegeier is set to admit guilt in the federal case, he has entered not guilty pleas for the 15 separate felony charges he faces in Dane County, which include child sexual exploitation and possession of child pornography. With at least six child victims involved in the case, some of whom attended Sun Prairie West High School, the gravity of the situation is undeniable. The Sun Prairie Area School District has stated that Gilkey-Meisegeier's employment was terminated on June 9, 2025, and has emphasized its full cooperation with police since his arrest in July. Following a report that was released just weeks ago, it cited “critical issues” in how the school had handled the alleged misconduct, as detailed by Spectrum News.
