A Monday, Jan. 5 hearing in the case against former deputy Jeremy Chapman indicates a plea agreement is likely in the coming weeks, something court filings suggested was possible as early as 2024.
A story about the case appeared in the Jan. 6, 2025 issue of the Leader-Telegram in Eau Claire. According to the story:
Chapman, 40, faces four felony charges: child sexual exploitation, child enticement, threats to communicate derogatory information and soliciting an intimate representation from a minor. As a Class C felony, the first charge could bring as much as a 25-year prison sentence, 15 years of extended supervision and fines of up to $100,000.
Monday’s proceeding was to have been the final conference before a planned three-day trial. But when the attorneys were before a judge they asked for a plea or status hearing be set. They “are close to a resolution,” records show, but need to review some evidence before settling.
While plea agreements are common in criminal cases, Chapman’s prosecution has been marked by numerous irregularities. The state’s online court database shows a bail bond hearing for Chapman in June 2024 — more than two weeks before the date listed for the case being filed.
Authorities did not initially release Chapman’s name, claiming the need for further investigation. His name was released four days later, a likely violation of the state’s Open Records laws requiring arrest logs to be released in a timely manner.
According to the criminal complaint, Chapman contacted a teenage girl on Snapchat, where he posed as “Caleb” and claimed to be a college student from Wausau. He asked her to send photos of her without clothing, and she sent some where she posed in her underwear.
Things escalated from there, with Chapman using the photos to coerce her into joining him in an online video chat and to get her to send additional photos. Investigators say he threatened to send the photos to her school if she refused and said there were boys who would assault her if she reported him.
The investigation traced “Caleb’s” IP address back to Chapman.
Chapman is next due in court in early March.
