A Pewaukee man was accused of sexually assaulting a woman with a cognitive impairment.
Greater Milwaukee Today reported that a Pewaukee man was accused of sexually assaulting a woman with a cognitive impairment.
A Report of a Woman Leaving in a Red SUV
Waukesha police began investigating on March 24, 2023, after receiving a report that a woman had left her group home in a red Ford Explorer, according to the criminal complaint as described by Greater Milwaukee Today.
The woman had a cognitive impairment. The group home’s manager had previously told her that visitors and dating needed her guardian’s approval, according to the complaint.
Police found the vehicle in a Waukesha parking lot about an hour after the report.
What Was Reported About the Case
The case involved an allegation of sexual assault against a woman with a cognitive impairment. She was later found with her pants zipper down and taken to a hospital for a sexual assault examination.
Investigators who interviewed the woman noted that her functioning was significantly below the cognitive level expected for her age, the complaint says. Tregler told police he had met her on a dating app and knew she lived in a group home, but denied sexual contact. He said he believed he had done nothing wrong because she was of consenting age, according to the complaint. He declined to answer further questions about how he knew her or their relationship.
The complaint says Tregler urged the woman to remove the dating app from her phone and showed her how to turn it off. He did not agree to provide a sexual assault examination voluntarily, so police obtained a search warrant to compel one.
How courts have described the mental-deficiency standard
A separate 2015 Wisconsin Court of Appeals case discussed a jury instruction describing the mental-deficiency standard as requiring that a person be unable to appraise her own conduct because of the deficiency. The decision involved a different defendant and victim; it does not establish what the jury found in Tregler’s case, according to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
Wisconsin reporting and oversight
Wisconsin Department of Health Services guidance describes Adult Protective Services as a county-based system, with county units receiving and responding to referrals. Separately, the department’s Division of Quality Assurance accepts complaints about care or quality-of-life concerns, including abuse, involving providers it regulates. The state guidance does not establish whether the group home in this case falls under that division’s jurisdiction. See Wisconsin Department of Health Services guidance on Adult Protective Services and its complaint information.
Additional Pending Cases
Beyond this conviction, Tregler has other pending cases alleging bail jumping, disorderly conduct in a domestic situation, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Those pending matters are scheduled for court on December 3.
