Former Spooner Officer Pleads Guilty in Child Sex Case, Avoids Prison

A former Spooner police officer accused of sexually abusing two minors he met through his job has reached a plea deal that spares him prison time, resolving a case that began when the department placed him on leave nearly three years ago. Dakota Dorn, 28, pleaded guilty to five charges — down from an original 12 — and was sentenced to one year in county jail plus three and a half years of probation, with a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence imposed but stayed as long as he follows the terms of his release.

According to WQOW, which first reported the plea deal and sentence, Dorn pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual intercourse with a child over 16 and three counts of exposing his genitals to a child. The remaining charges from the original criminal complaint, which identified two victims, were dismissed or read in as part of the agreement. Dorn had originally faced 12 counts, including two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16 and child enticement, filed in 2024.

Dorn was appointed as a full-time Spooner police officer by the City of Spooner City Council on June 22, 2021, subject to a six-month probation period and a 24-month commitment, according to city meeting records. He was hired to help fill full-time vacancies within the department at the time.

How the Case Unfolded Inside the Department

Spooner Police Chief Mike Kronberger placed Dorn on paid administrative leave on October 9, 2023, after receiving initial reports of an inappropriate relationship with a minor, and Dorn resigned from the department on December 11, 2023, before the criminal investigation concluded, per DrydenWire. Kronberger had only taken over as chief in April 2023, following the retirement of 10-year chief Jerry Christman, meaning the investigation into Dorn unfolded during his first six months leading the department.

Because Dorn worked in Washburn County, the criminal investigation was handed to the Burnett County Sheriff's Office to avoid a conflict of interest, with Burnett County District Attorney Kevin Schmidt serving as special prosecutor and filing charges in Washburn County Circuit Court, DrydenWire's reporting shows. Dorn made his initial court appearance on June 3, 2024, before specially appointed Judge Melissia Mogen, who set a $15,000 cash bond.

Victims Met Dorn Through His Police Duties

WQOW's reporting on the criminal complaint states that one victim developed a relationship with Dorn after meeting him during a ride-along, while the second victim was in seventh grade when she met him after he volunteered at her school. That volunteer role tied back to Dorn's official duties managing the Spooner Police Youth Academy, also known as the Junior Police Academy, which met after school on Mondays and gave him direct contact with local middle schoolers, according to the same DrydenWire account.

The 32-page criminal complaint detailed forensic phone records that investigators say corroborated the timeline and nature of communications between Dorn and the two juveniles, the outlet's reporting notes. That digital evidence formed a central part of the case prosecutors built before the plea agreement was reached.

What the Charges Carry Under Wisconsin Law

Under Wisconsin Statute § 948.10, exposing genitals to a child for sexual gratification is a Class I felony, carrying up to 3.5 years in prison and fines as high as $10,000 per count, according to guidance published by the Law Offices Of Christopher J. Cherella. Separately, under Wisconsin Statute § 948.09, an adult who has sexual intercourse with a 16- or 17-year-old while holding an occupational or volunteer position of authority over that child faces a Class H felony punishable by up to 6 years in prison, per the RAINN policy database.

Because his guilty pleas fall under qualifying felony sex offenses against minors, Dorn will be subject to Wisconsin's mandatory sex offender registry under Wis. Stat. § 301.45, which requires ongoing address and employment reporting for at least 15 years, or life, depending on which statutory triggers apply, according to GRGB Law. The registry is enforced by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and follows offenders regardless of where they later live or work.

Dorn's sentence of one year in county jail, three and a half years of probation, and a stayed four-and-a-half-year prison term means he will not serve additional prison time so long as he abides by the conditions of his probation. The case, reported by DrydenWire and WQOW, closes a chapter that began within a department of fewer than a dozen sworn officers, where a youth outreach program meant to build trust with local kids instead became the setting investigators say Dorn exploited.