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Twin Lakes man charged with 12 felonies involving minors
A 19-year-old from Twin Lakes who volunteered at Wilmot High School is accused of sexually explicit communication with two minors and is being charged with 12 felonies.
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. - A 19-year-old from Twin Lakes who volunteered at Wilmot High School is accused of sexually explicit communication with two minors and is being charged with 12 felonies.
Speak Up, Speak Out
What we know:
This incident was first reported through Speak Up, Speak Out: a statewide tip program for K-12 students that runs 24/7.
Since it started in 2020, it has received over 24,000 tips, focusing on getting help to people hurting, struggling or in danger. That could be things like bullying, violence, mistreatment and illegal activity.
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Tip leads to arrest
What we know:
In the case of that 19-year-old, Austin Scaletta, the tip that Speak Up, Speak Out got about him was sent to the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office and the investigation started on July 24th.
Austin Scaletta
Although Scaletta volunteered at Wilmot High School, the Sheriff’s Office has not found any connection between the offenses and the school, students or the school’s operations.
This kind of incident is exactly what Speak Up, Speak Out is working to stop or prevent entirely.
The reports can be confidential, and their biggest goal is to reach kids at the moment they’re willing to report something.
Tips always go to the school that it impacts, but when it’s a life safety matter or includes criminal activity, it also goes to local law enforcement.
What they're saying:
Trish Kilpin, executive director of the Office of School Safety at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, said Speak Up, Speak Out gets the most tips during the school day.
"Every tip is important," Kilpin said. "Every tip is about somebody struggling, somebody worried, somebody upset, somebody being maltreated. So, being responsive in real time to every situation that is posed, that’s how we make sure that youth trust us and that they can continue to come to us.
"And that means everything. Just having a place that you know that they can turn to. We don’t replace parents or trusted adults at a child’s school. We’re part of another option."
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According to the Wilmot District Administrator, the district's schools remind students of the program every year and send information out through a newsletter to families. If school is not in session, tips go to the local police.
K-12 students can contact Speak Up, Speak Out by calling 1-800-697-876, texting "SUSO" to 738477, or download the app on iPhone or Android. It is available 24/7, can be anonymous and is offered anywhere in Wisconsin.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Ben Hanson and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office and Speak Up, Speak Out.