Franklin College’s former president appeared before a Wisconsin judge Wednesday for the first time since February.
Thomas J. Minar was scheduled to be arraigned on child sex crime-related charges, but the arraignment was postponed due to additional charges that were filed after Minar’s initial status hearing Feb. 20. At that hearing, he waived his preliminary hearing, a rare move, but common in high-profile cases or when the evidence against a defendant is substantial or overwhelming.
Wednesday’s hearing, which was held via Zoom web conferencing, lasted less than 10 minutes.
Minar faces 15 total charges, including 12 possession of child pornography charges that were added in March after a search of his phone produced new evidence. Minar, 56, was arrested Jan. 6 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, after he allegedly messaged an undercover police officer posing as a 15-year-old boy on the dating app Grindr.
Door County Circuit Court Judge David Weber said Wednesday via web conference he found probable cause on the initial three charges against Minar. Those charges include using a computer to facilitate a sex crime, child enticement and exposing a child to harmful narrations, all felonies that carry a maximum sentence of 68 ½ years in prison if convicted on all counts and ordered to serve separate sentences for each, as well as up to $210,000 in fines.
But Minar had not yet waived a preliminary hearing for the 12 additional charges, and his attorney, Brett Reetz, asked Weber to set another status hearing to do so.
Weber asked Reetz and Door County District Attorney Colleen Nordin if they thought the charges were related enough to be included in the initial waiver.
“I’m going to suggest that they are arguably not transactionally related. One led to the other, but that’s about the extent of it,” Reetz said. “Given the significance of this case, I want it to be thorough.”
Minar and his attorneys on Wednesday waived time limits on a preliminary hearing, but did not specify whether they would waive a preliminary hearing on the additional charges.
“Out of an abundance of caution, this is the way to proceed, and I think it’s appropriate,” Weber said.
Another status hearing is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. July 30, when Minar and his attorneys will say whether they want to, again, waive a preliminary hearing. Minar in April added two additional defense attorneys to his case.
The new charges against Minar came after Sturgeon Bay police searched his personal phone and found several photos and videos of adult and child pornography, according to an amended criminal complaint filed Tuesday in a Door County court.
The investigating officer found several photos and videos of Minar and minors, court documents said.
The officer also discovered a conversation between Minar and another man that went on for about two years. Those conversations included photos and videos of Minar and the man involved in sex acts, according to court documents.
The two men also talked about having sex with minors, court documents said.
Prosecutors filed a search warrant for the information on March 11, according to online court records.
Each possession of child pornography charge is a Class D Felony with a maximum prison sentence of 25 years each.
Minar has been living in Evanston, Illinois since he was released from jail Jan. 7 on $7,500 bond, court records show.
Minar is represented by three criminal defense attorneys: Reetz; Hal Harlowe and Mark Maciolek, who also appeared before the judge Wednesday. Nordin is prosecuting the case for the State of Wisconsin.
