(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — A Mount Pleasant man is again facing serious charges in Kenosha County Circuit Court, accused of stalking, criminal defamation, and felony bail jumping in a re-filed case involving disturbing allegations of harassment.
Dennis A. Thompson, 62, appeared in court Friday for an initial appearance in case number 2025CF597. The new charges stem from the same conduct alleged in a 2023 case — 2023CF1775 — that was dismissed after the complaining witness was not properly subpoenaed for trial. Prosecutors have since re-filed the charges and say they are prepared to proceed.
According to the complaint, Thompson allegedly sent explicit videos, manipulated images, and harassing messages to and about a former romantic partner, including communications directed at third parties. He is also accused of threatening to send the materials to her employer and showing up uninvited at her workplace. The complaint includes graphic and targeted messages and references to the woman’s private therapy sessions.
At Friday’s hearing, Thompson was granted a signature bond by Court Commissioner Donald Bielski, even though he skipped court last week. He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on May 20, 2025. The felony bail jumping count stems from Thompson’s failure to appear at a scheduled jury status hearing in the original case.
During the hearing, Thompson attempted to avoid being photographed in the courtroom, then winked and smiled at this reporter in what appeared to be an effort to intimidate.
If convicted on all counts, Thompson faces up to 10 years and 3 months in prison.
Criminal Defamation Taken Seriously by Local Prosecutors
While often misunderstood as a purely civil matter, criminal defamation is a Class A misdemeanor in Wisconsin — and one that Kenosha County prosecutors have not hesitated to charge when reputational harm is combined with other misconduct.
In State v. Miranda (2022CF1683), prosecutors charged a former RecPlex employee with defamation after he allegedly posed as a woman to lure a teenage coworker into sending nude photos, which were later distributed around his workplace. In State v. Roadruck (2022CM310), a Carthage College student was charged with defamation and obstructing an officer after allegedly fabricating a sexual assault and naming a specific former acquaintance as the perpetrator. In State v. Augustine (2024CF123), prosecutors charged a Milwaukee man with stalking and criminal defamation in connection with hundreds of spoofed calls and texts falsely implicating acquaintances in harassment and crimes.
The law under Wisconsin Statute § 942.01 allows for prosecution of defamatory communications made with intent to harm and without the consent of the person defamed. The maximum penalty is nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine.
Thompson remains out of custody as the case moves forward.
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