APPLETON- (NBC 26) — The Appleton Police Department arrested a registered sex offender for crimes related to the sexual assault of a child.
DePreist T. McGruder, 26, of Appleton, was arrested June 8 at his residence and confined in the Outagamie County Jail.
McGruder met the victim at a public location. He was not known to the victim prior to the encounter. McGruder falsely presented himself as a 17-year-old to the victim, who was under the age of 16. He continued contact with the victim both in person and through electronic means.
Police were notified after the victim suspected McGruder was older than he claimed and attempted to distance themself from him out of fear.
McGruder was confined in the Outagamie County Jail on the following charges:
- Repeated (1st Degree) Sexual Assault of the Same Child, WI §948.025(1)(b)
- Use of a Computer to Facilitate a Child Sex Crime, WI §948.075(1r)
- Child Enticement, WI §948.07(1)
- Sending Obscene or Sexually Explicit Electronic Messages, WI §944.25(2)
- Grooming of a Child for Sexual Activity, WI §948.072(2)
- Probation Violation
At this time, there is no evidence to suggest any other children in the Appleton area were harmed. Because this is an active criminal case, no additional details will be released at this time.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact Officer Jason Schmitz with the Appleton Police Department at (920) 832-5500.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
