Nearly three months have passed since a Platteville man was charged in Grant County Circuit Court with allegedly having sex with a minor.
Robert VanNatta, 44, remains in the Grant County Jail. Amended charges were filed in the case, which still includes the original 30 charges of sex with a child age 16 or older and one count of exposing a child to harmful materials.
Since the initial charges were filed March 26, additional charges were filed on June 7, including 20 counts of exposing genitals to a child, a Class I felony with maximum penaltiy of 3½ years in prison and $10,000 in fines, and 20 counts of child enticement–expose sex organs, a class D felony with maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and $100,000 in fines.
According to the Grant County District Attorney’s Office, the initial charges will most likely be dismissed and the new charges will remain. VanNatta will make his initial appearance for the 40 charges filed June 7 on Tuesday, July 3 at 9 a.m. A status conference on the original 31 charges filed March 26 will be held the same day at 1 p.m.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Department was notified by the parents of a juvenile female on March 24 of a relationship between their daughter and VanNatta.
As a result of the investigation, VanNatta was alleged to have been found to have been participating in sexual acts with a 16-year old female from October 2011 through March.
The sheriff’s department investigation also discovered that VanNatta had used a cellular phone to send sensitive materials to the juvenile female.
Each charge of sexual intercourse with a child, a class A misdemeanor, carries a maximum penalty of nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine. The exposing a child to harmful material is a class I felony and carries a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment of not more than three years, six months or both.
VanNatta also faces charges stemming from an incident at his residence on Jones and Vaassen Lane on April 19.
VanNatta has a status conference on July 17 at 10 a.m. on one charge of possessing explosives for unlawful purpose, a class F felony, one charge of kidnapping/seize or confine without consent, a class C felony, one count of false imprisonment, a class H felony and three counts of felony bail jumping. Those charges are set to go to a jury trial in August.
