Appleton Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Coercing 13-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual Conduct

MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Wang Lo, 23, of Appleton, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 15 years in federal prison for enticing and coercing a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct. This term of imprisonment is to be followed by 15 years of supervised release.  Lo pleaded guilty to this charge on March 16, 2023. 

In May 2022, a then-14-year-old girl, reported she had been sexually assaulted by someone she met online when she was 13.  She reported that he coerced her to engage in sexually explicit conduct with him, that he recorded that conduct, and then threatened to distribute the video if she did not engage in additional sexual conduct with him. 

Agents searched Lo’s phone and found messages to the girl, threatening to send the sexually explicit video to her family and to her school if she did not engage in additional sexual activity with him.  They also found messages indicating he had sexually assaulted a second 13-year old girl.

Judge Peterson called the defendant’s conduct shocking and outrageous, and noted that while the defendant was technically a first time offender, he had been engaged in similar conduct for almost three years.  He stated the 15-year sentence was warranted to protect the public because Lo was a repeat and dangerous sex offender. 

The charge against Lo was the result of an investigation conducted by the Marathon and Outagamie County Sheriffs’ Offices and the U.S. Marshals Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.