A 58-year-old Milwaukee man has admitted in court that he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl who disappeared from a local mental-health facility last year. Daniel Hawkins pleaded guilty Thursday to child enticement and second-degree sexual assault and is scheduled to return for sentencing on May 22.
Case update
According to FOX6, Hawkins entered his guilty pleas on April 30 in Milwaukee County court. He is set to be sentenced on May 22. The station reports its coverage is based on the criminal complaint and information from Wisconsin Circuit Court Access.
How she was found
Court records state the 14-year-old walked out of the Lad Lake inpatient mental-health facility near 88th Street and Vienna Avenue in April 2025. An anonymous tip later directed officers to her near 38th and Wisconsin on May 1, 2025, according to WISN. The outlet reports she was taken to Children’s Wisconsin, where she was treated for methamphetamine withdrawal.
Allegations in court filings
Prosecutors say Hawkins talked with people who were handing out flyers during the search for the missing teen and told them he had seen her recently and spent several days with her, according to FOX6. The criminal complaint says Hawkins told investigators he dropped the girl off in what he described as a "high-prostitution area with prevalent drug activity." He allegedly admitted driving her to get methamphetamine and claimed she told him she was 19, though prosecutors say that is not accurate. Officers arrested Hawkins after they were unable to find the girl at the location where he said he had left her.
Legal stakes
Child enticement and second-degree sexual assault are felony offenses in Wisconsin and can lead to prison time and long-term sex-offender registration requirements, according to the Wisconsin State Law Library. On May 22, a judge will decide Hawkins’s sentence, taking into account his plea, criminal history and any victim-impact statements.
What’s next
Hawkins is due back in Milwaukee County court on May 22 for sentencing. Court filings say the girl later told investigators she had been taken to "four to five trap houses" and that men took advantage of her as she was moved between locations, according to WISN.
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