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WASHBURN COUNTY -- Criminal charges for possession of child porn and child exploitation have been filed against a Grantsburg, WI man following an undercover law enforcement investigation in Washburn County.
On March 23, 2021, a Washburn County law enforcement officer was conducting an online undercover investigation utilizing a social media platform. The account used by the undercover law enforcement officer presented the owner of the account as a 19-year-old female.
A message was received by the undercover officer from someone with a profile name of “Jeremy”, age 33, from Floodwood, MN. However, the location information provided by the social media platform indicated that “Jeremy” was in Grantsburg, WI.
The officer operating the undercover account received a message from “Jeremy” asking if the undercover was pregnant. When the undercover account responded by saying no, “Jeremy” asked if he could change that, and stated that he would take care of her and the baby. “Jeremy” then went on to ask a series of questions about birth control, periods, and the undercover’s sexual experience.
“Jeremy” exchanged contact information with the undercover for another social media platform with messaging capabilities. The law enforcement officer noted that the person’s name on the new platform was listed as Jeremiah Bonse. The photos on each social media platform seemed to be of the same person; later identified by law enforcement as Jeremiah Bonse, age 34, of Grantsburg, WI, according to the criminal complaint filed against Bonse in Washburn County Circuit Court.
The conversation was continued with Bonse asking another series of questions about periods and sexual acts, to which the undercover account responded by stating that the female was 14 years old. Bonse responded with more questions including, “Will you tell your parents”; “Do you care I’m an adult”; “Can I see your vagina.” The conversation went on for a short while and at the conclusion, Bonse sent a series of messages including, “Nummy I want to show you what sex is if you’re ready” and “Will you let me be your first.”
On the morning of March 24, 2021, the undercover account received a message from Bonse asking to see the undercover’s female body parts and play with them. The undercover law enforcement officer sent a reply refusing to send photos of a lewd nature. The criminal complaint states that Bonse asked repeatedly for naked photographs. When the undercover officer continued to refuse to send any, Bonse began to threaten to block the undercover; to tell the parents of the undercover; and to call the police on the undercover. At one point Bonse allegedly said, “Take the picture or you’ll never get to know me I still don’t trust you’re not a cop.”
Bonse allegedly continued sending messages to the undercover account including asking if he could ejaculate into her; where would they have sex; was her hymen intact; and if sex in his vehicle was ok. Bonse also continued to ask for naked photographs, stating “One naked picture in front of the mirror won’t kill you” and, “You realize if I get caught its years in prison sex offender for life alls you get is grounded for a couple days the least you can do is one picture.” According to the criminal complaint, Bonse also offered the undercover account $200 and said that he would get a “nice present” for her if she agreed to send a photo.
After the undercover officer sent a reply refusing to send a lew photograph, Bonse allegedly responded first by calling her a “b*tch” and threatening to block her. Bonse followed that with a message stating “I love you I want to marry you when you’re older” and asking the undercover to marry him. Bonse went on with questions about getting the undercover pregnant and sexualized statements about what he would like to do to the undercover. He then went on to ask the undercover if her parents had a tracking app on her phone.
On March 25, 2021, the conversation between Bonse and the undercover continued with Bonse again sending a series of sexualized questions and statements to the undercover. Bonse asked if the undercover had told anyone he was talking to her and stated, “Well you don’t want the father of your baby in prison do you.” Further messages were received from Bonse on March 26, 2021, also of a sexual nature. The undercover account advised Bonse that they would not be able to message over the weekend as their parents would be home.
On Monday, March 29, 2021, Bonse initiated contact, sending more requests for naked photographs. When the undercover officer refused to send any, Bonse allegedly got upset and responded by calling the undercover a b**ch or a c**t. Bonse also said that if she did not send him the naked photos that he wanted, he would find another young person who would.
The morning of March 30, 2021, Washburn County law enforcement, along with the Grantsburg Police Department went to the Grantsburg, WI, residence of Jeremiah Bonse, and located him there. Bonse was advised that Investigators wanted to speak with him about a report that he had been speaking with a female online, and he responded, “ “I didn’t know she was that young.”
Bonse was taken into custody and was transported to the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office. Bonse signed a consent form allowing authorities to search his phone.
Messages were allegedly located on the phone in which Bonse conversed with another individual about having sexual contact with females as young as 12 years of age. In one message sent by Bonse and dated March 23, 2021, Bonse stated that he had a 14-year-old female who wanted him to “destroy her virginity” and that he was “scared AF.”
Additional messages were located from March 24, 2021, in which Bonse stated that the other person could have the 14-year-old “after I’m done.” Bonse also allegedly sent a message stating that he had found a group online that was sharing videos of “single digit girls doing naughty things.” Additional messages were exchanged, in which the other person talked about intercourse with children as young as 8 or 9 and Bonse responded “yikes, that awesome.”
Numerous messaging conversations were located on the phone in which Bonse allegedly was asking multiple people if they had any “young videos to trade.”
A data extraction was conducted on Bonse’s phone, and Investigators located multiple videos and photographs of females in the early stages of puberty being subjected to sexual activities.
Also See:
- DCI Investigation Leads To Charges Of Possessing Child Porn For Spooner Business Owner
- Court Sentences Sarona Man Found Guilty Of Child Abuse By Jury
- Man Faces Felony Charges For Allegedly Soliciting Prostitute In Shell Lake
Bonse is charged with Class C Felony Sexual Exploitation of a Child, and five counts of Class D Felony Possession of Child Pornography. Online circuit court records show that on March 31, 2021, Bonse appeared for a bail bond hearing in Washburn County Circuit Court and was placed on a $5,000 cash bond that was posted that same day. Bonse made an initial appearance regarding his charges on April 26, 2021, and is scheduled to appear again in June 2021.
Pursuant to the direction of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicly, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Last Update: Apr 29, 2021 10:48 am CDT
