Battle Over Sex Offender Placement In Dodge County Makes History

A North Fond du Lac woman whose brother was living next to two high risk sex offenders says the family was relieved to see both offenders sent back to a state treatment facility. Dodge County judges decided to send Chapter 980 offenders Robert Larson and Jonathan Miller back to the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center. Aileen Andrews brother Brian Edwards lives in Brownsville within 250 feet of where the two offenders were placed in June. Edwards is raising 11 year old twins, a boy and girl. His wife died 3 years ago of a brain aneurysm.  Andrews says her brother didn’t know about the placement until a Sheriff’s deputy came around to inform him about a community meeting. She says you don’t put a kid in a candy store, an alcoholic in a bar, why would you put a high risk sex offender in a home next to kids. Authorities weren’t aware two young children were living next door to where the sex offenders were being released. She says the country is actually a good spot to place sex offenders because of the seclusion, but not in this case. She says the community took time to make an issue of the placement. She says they made history with what was accomplished. She says as one person put it, “It takes a village to live in Brownsville” and the village pulled together. Larson and Miller will eventually be placed in Dodge County.


Brian Edwards thank you note to the community:


A heartfelt thank you to the Brownsville and surrounding communities in our fight to remove the 980 offenders that never should have been placed here. This removal shows how strong and committed our small communities are to keep our children and neighborhoods safe.

A huge thank you also to Sheriff Dale Shmidt, the Dodge county law enforcement, Mark Born, and Scott Fitzgerald for all your hard work and valiant efforts to remedy this situation and work to change the current broken law.

With the help of local community news, Fox 6 and WKOW 27 we were able to raise awareness statewide and flood the DOC and DHS with calls objecting to the placement of these individuals.

 

I, as well as many family members are proud to live in a community that cares for individuals and steps up to help out when needed.

The Brian Edwards & Mary Wondra families.