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A Plain woman was recently charged with child abuse after a 10-year-old accused her of beating the child with a broom.
Patricia L. Lomasney, 58, faces three years of prison and three years on extended supervision for the sole felony count of intentionally causing harm to a child.
According to the criminal complaint:
Sauk County Det. Drew Bulin investigated a complaint May 31 of potential child abuse of a 10-year-old. The child and a teenager had spoken to adults about alleged abuse they endured at the hands of Lomasney.
The children were interviewed separately June 6 at Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center in Madison.
The teenager told the interview that Lomasney was abusive in the past and had seen Lomasney hit the 10-year-old repeatedly with a broom three weeks earlier. Lomasney chased the 10-year-old after hitting the child in the head and called on the help of another person to move a bed after the 10-year-old hid underneath it to escape the blows. The teen saw the blows in one room and heard the commotion coming from another room. The teen said the broom was broken after Lomasney pursued the child.
Not only did the children claim Lomasney was physically violent, they said she would also call them racial slurs and would curse insultingly at them. Lomasney has also pulled the child around by the hair to the point of noticeably losing hair when taking a shower and used kitchen instruments to repeatedly hit the 10-year-old.
The teenager said seeing the 10-year-old attacked and being insulted led to memories of years of abuse, prompting a post on social media. That posting led to the investigation after it was reported to school officials.
Lomasney met with police in June. She claimed to have not used “physical discipline” with the children recently and that she had only intended to threaten the child with the broom. Any contact with the child was accidental, she said, and claimed it had broken because it hit the floor. She also denied involving anyone else in the alleged abuse and that it had not happened in May, but roughly six months earlier.
Lomasney is scheduled to make an initial appearance Sept. 21 in Sauk County Circuit Court.
Devin J. Schroeder, 25, of Madison, talks to his attorney, Mark Frank, during his sentencing hearing Wednesday at the Sauk County Courthouse.
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Sauk County Assistant District Attorney Rick Spoentgen addresses Circuit Court Judge Patricia Barrett during a proceeding in December 2019 regarding a first-degree homicide case against Amber Lundgren, center right, as she sits alongside her attorneys Andrew Martinez, center, and Taylor Hart.
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Amber Lundgren, 35, right, sits with her attorney Andrew Martinez during a proceeding Thursday at the Sauk County Courthouse.
Former Sauk County Supervisor William Wenzel, right, speaks during his sentencing hearing Friday as his attorney Christopher Van Wagner listens.
Sauk County Circuit Judge Michael Screnock jokes while giving a speech about newly appointed District Attorney Mike Albrecht as he sits with his son, Henrik, during a swearing-in ceremony Friday at the county courthouse.
Judge Wendy Klicko confers with defense attorney Andrew Martinez, left, and Assistant District Attorney Rick Spoentgen, right, in Sauk County Circuit Court on Wednesday during the sentence hearing on sexual abuse charges for Riley M. Roth, 18, of Reedsburg,.
Sauk County Assistant District Attorney Rick Spoentgen gives an opening statement Monday at the county courthouse in the first day of the homicide trial of Albart B. Shores, a La Crosse man charged with vehicular homicide.
Sauk County Sheriff's Detective Drew Bulin answers questions from District Attorney Michael Albrecht during a preliminary hearing over a homicide case Thursday at the Sauk County Courthouse.
William Wenzel, right, appears Thursday in Sauk County Circuit Court alongside defense attorney Christopher Van Wagner. Wenzel stood mute and pleaded not guilty to five felony charges of possession of child pornography.
Sauk County Sheriff's Deputy Matthew Tate tells local children and families about K-9 Jennings during the Baraboo library's pet expo July 22 at Ochsner Park in Baraboo.
Mike Albrecht takes the oath of office as the newly appointed district attorney with his son, 11-month-old Henrik, as he is sworn in by Sauk County Circuit Court Judge Patricia Barrett during a ceremony Friday at the Sauk County Courthouse.
Det. Lt. Chris Zunker of the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office speaks May 10 during Sauk County's Respect for Law Day observance in front of the courthouse in downtown Baraboo.
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