Ripon Man Sentenced in Child Sexual Assault Case

A 58-year-old Ripon man has been sentenced after sexually
assaulting six children. Terry Phelps was sentenced in Fond du Lac County Court
last Friday to 30 years in prison and another 13 years of extended supervision.
Phelps pled to six felony counts involving sexual assault and physical abuse of
a child. He was originally charged with 43 counts in April, but agreed to enter
an Alford plea to repeated sexual assault of the same child and “no contest”
pleas to two counts of child abuse causing great bodily harm and three counts
of child abuse causing intentional harm. An Alford plea is not an admission of
guilt, but a recognition that there is enough evidence to find the defendant
guilty if the case went to trial. A criminal complaint says that the assaults
happened primarily between September of 2016 and October of 2018.


Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney praised the
children for coming forward, saying that “no amount of prison can take away the
trauma and pain of what happened, but their courage in coming forward allowed
this dangerous predator to be taken off our streets and help ensure other children
are forever protected from him.”