Altoona Man Sentenced in Monroe County Court to 25 Years in Prison for Child Sex Crimes

Today, Monroe County District Attorney Kevin D. Croninger announced that on
January 05, 2024, Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Todd L. Ziegler sentenced 44 year old, Eric L.
Wirth to 25 years in the Wisconsin State Prison System. After completing his 25 year term in the
Wisconsin State Prison System, Wirth will be supervised for an additional 15 years by the Wisconsin
Department of Corrections.
Wirth was convicted by a Monroe County jury in September of 2023 of eight charges including,
Repeated Sexual Assault of Same Child, Use of a Computer to Facilitate a Child Sex Crime, Cause a
Child to View Sexual Activity, Exposing a Child to Harmful Material, two counts of Sexual Exploitation
of a Child, Sex with a Child Age 16 or Older and Possession of Cocaine. The charges against Wirth
stem from conduct that occurred between May of 2017 and July of 2021 in which Wirth used children
for his own sexual gratification.
The sentenced handed down by Judge Ziegler followed the recommendation of District Attorney
Kevin Croninger. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections had recommended a much shorter
sentence of 10 years of initial confinement. Monroe County District Attorney Kevin Croninger stated,
“We are grateful to Judge Ziegler for the sentence he ordered in this matter and for going well above
what was recommended by the Department of Corrections. Judge Ziegler’s sentence demonstrates
the overwhelming need for the public to be protected from people like Mr. Wirth. Not only is Mr. Wirth
a pervert, a pedophile and a predator, but as Judge Ziegler indicated, Mr. Wirth engaged in horrible,
disgusting and disturbing behavior over the course of many years. We are grateful Judge Ziegler has
sentenced Mr. Wirth to a length of time that will keep the community safe for multiple decades.”
The prosecution of the case was handled by Monroe County District Attorney Kevin Croninger with
the support and assistance by the staff of the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.
The investigation of the case was led by Detective John Brose of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office,
with assistance from City of Sparta Police Chief Emilee Nottestad and Detective Andrew Kuen,
formerly of the City of Sparta Police Department and currently of the Monroe County District
Attorney’s Office.
Croninger praised the work of Detective Brose and all officers involved, “This is a case that involved
numerous perverse acts by the Defendant. The officers involved demonstrated the highest levels of
professional integrity and investigative skill in procuring the facts that proved the defendant was guilty
of the charges submitted to the jury. Without this high level of professional integrity and investigative
skill, these convictions would not have been possible.”
For more information on this case, please go to Wisconsin Circuit Court Access at
https://wcca.wicourts.gov and search for Monroe County Case No. 2021CF000619. Please direct
media inquiries to Kevin Croninger, Monroe County District Attorney, Monroe County District
Attorney’s Office at 608-269-8780 or monroe.call@da.wi.gov.
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Source: WRJC.com

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