KENOSHA, Wis. — A lifetime registered sex offender with multiple felony convictions was released from the Kenosha County Jail after posting only $5,000 cash bail following allegations that he masturbated in front of two young girls while working at the Italian American Club — and the club’s president, Martin “Marty” Pitts, has yet to address the public or explain why a man with such an extensive criminal history was hired.
Robert W. Moses, 55, of Kenosha, was charged Monday with exposing genitals to a child, lewd and lascivious behavior and disorderly conduct after Kenosha police say he exposed himself and masturbated while looking at two young girls during a Saturday event at the Italian American Club, 2217 52nd St.
Assistant District Attorney Sarah Norkus requested $5,000 cash bail Monday, an amount some observers considered unusually low given Moses’ lifetime sex offender registry status, his prior child sex-crime convictions and his history of felony convictions. Liberal Activist Supplemental Court Commissioner Tracey “Low-Bail” Braun granted the request.
Moses posted the $5,000 cash bail and was released today.
Pitts, the president of the Italian American Club, had “no comment” when asked by Kenosha County Eye why the organization hired Moses despite his lifetime sex offender status and prior convictions involving children. As of Monday evening, Pitts had not publicly explained whether the club knew Moses was on the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry, whether a background check was performed, or whether any club official reviewed his criminal history before allowing him to work at the facility.
According to the criminal complaint, Kenosha police were dispatched to the Italian American Club at about 6:13 p.m. Saturday for an indecent exposure complaint. A club representative told police patrons had reported that one of the club’s employees, later identified as Moses, was masturbating while looking at two young girls.
Police said Moses was asked if he knew why officers were there. According to the complaint, Moses replied, “I did something stupid.”
Moses later allegedly told police he heard through coworkers that he “had issues” and mentioned going to the bathroom. When officers asked him to clarify what happened, Moses allegedly said, “They said I was exposing myself to them or something?” When asked if he exposed himself, Moses allegedly answered, “Yes,” then turned around and placed his hands behind his back.
One of the girls told police she was attending a company event for Palmen Motors GMC at the Italian American Club with her parents and was helping set up guests as they arrived. She said Moses, who was wearing clothing similar to the Italian American Club staff uniform, first helped her get a trash can.
About 20 minutes later, Moses allegedly returned and began making awkward small talk with the girl and her friend. The girl told police Moses was talking about a trip to Florida and that she and her friend gave short answers because they wanted him to leave.
The girl also told police Moses stared at her chest area, making her uncomfortable.
About 25 minutes later, the girl and her friend were standing near a table in the northwest corner of the ballroom near the men’s restroom. The girl told police she looked toward the restroom and saw Moses partially concealed inside the bathroom, facing her, with his pants lowered and his hand moving in front of his groin area.
The girl alerted her friend, and both looked back toward the bathroom. According to the complaint, they confirmed Moses was masturbating while looking at them. The complaint says Moses made eye contact with them, began walking backward, pulled up his pants and quickly left the bathroom area.
The girl told police the incident made her feel “disgusted,” “molested” and “icky.” Police noted she changed clothing afterward because she no longer felt comfortable.
The allegations are disturbing on their own. Moses’ criminal history makes the Italian American Club’s decision to employ him even more troubling.
Wisconsin Department of Corrections Sex Offender Registry records show Moses has been a registered sex offender since August 28, 2002, and is subject to lifetime registration. The registry lists his qualifying offenses as first-degree sexual assault of a child and exposing genitals to a child.
Court records show Moses’ criminal history stretches back decades.
In 1999, Moses was charged in Kenosha County with possession with intent to deliver cocaine. According to the criminal complaint, police went to the Budget American Motel on 60th Street, found a loaded .380 handgun under a bed and found crack cocaine packaged in a way police said was consistent with street-level sales. The complaint alleged Moses admitted the crack cocaine had been given to him to sell.
Moses pleaded guilty in that case on January 5, 2000. Then-Judge Barbara A. Kluka withheld sentence and placed him on four years of probation with 113 days in jail. His probation was later revoked, and on August 16, 2002, Kluka sentenced him to two years in state prison. The prosecutor listed in that case was Michael Graveley.
The most serious case came in 2002, when Moses was charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child and attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child. The complaint involved allegations concerning children under 13.
The 2002 complaint alleged one child called police to report that Moses may have sexually assaulted her and another child. Another child told police Moses had babysat her while her mother was out of town and asked her to touch his penis. Moses later gave police a written statement admitting he asked the child to touch his penis, according to the complaint.
Moses entered a no-contest plea on August 28, 2002, to attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child. The other felony child sex assault count was dismissed on the prosecutor’s motion.
Court records show Moses was sentenced in October 2002 to five years in prison and five years of extended supervision. The court also ordered sex offender treatment, sex offender registration, no contact with the victim or her residence, and no contact with females under age 18. He was not eligible for the Challenge Incarceration Program. His extended supervision was later revoked, and in 2008, Judge Anthony Milisauskas ordered him back to prison for 18 months and one day.
In 2015, Moses was again charged with a child-related sex offense. Prosecutors charged him with felony exposing genitals or pubic area to a child as a repeater.
According to that complaint, a 17-year-old girl was waiting at the Kenosha bus transfer station when Moses, then in his 40s, sat near her, exposed his penis and masturbated. The girl got up, left and called police.
When police questioned Moses, he first said he did not think he had done anything inappropriate, but apologized if it had anything to do with the girl. He later admitted to a detective that he saw the teenage girl, became aroused, exposed himself and masturbated because “the girl looked good to him,” according to the complaint.
Moses pleaded guilty on June 18, 2015, to exposing genitals, pubic area or intimate parts to a child as a repeater. Judge Chad Kerkman sentenced him on August 14, 2015, to two years in prison and two years of extended supervision. Kerkman ordered Moses to comply with sex offender treatment, the sex offender registry, mental health evaluation recommendations, and barred him from contact with the victim or any child under 18 unless permitted by his supervising agent.
Moses’ record did not stop there.
In 2018, Moses was charged with substantial battery as a repeater and misdemeanor intimidation of a victim as a repeater. The complaint alleged Moses punched a woman in the face, causing bleeding and pain. The complaint also alleged he tried to prevent or dissuade the victim from reporting the crime.
Moses pleaded guilty in 2019 to substantial battery-intend bodily harm as a repeater. The victim intimidation charge was dismissed on the prosecutor’s motion. Judge Mary Kay Wagner sentenced Moses to one year in prison, concurrent to his 2015 case, and two years of extended supervision. Wagner ordered him to have no contact with the victim and to participate in treatment, including sex offender treatment.
In 2023, Moses was charged again, this time in two separate Kenosha County cases that were later resolved together.
In the first 2023 case, Moses was charged with strangulation and suffocation as a repeater, battery as a repeater and disorderly conduct as a repeater. The complaint alleged Moses was involved in a violent incident with a woman at a residence on 23rd Avenue.
In the second 2023 case, Moses was charged with felony bail jumping as a repeater, battery-domestic abuse as a repeater and disorderly conduct-domestic abuse as a repeater. That complaint alleged Moses punched a woman in the face multiple times, threatened to “bash her head in,” picked up a barstool and made a comment about grabbing a knife. The woman reportedly fled through a back door and jumped from a fire escape while wearing only a T-shirt and underwear with a blanket wrapped around her because she was so scared.
Despite those serious allegations, Moses received what many would consider lenient treatment in the 2023 cases.
On January 27, 2025, before Judge Anthony Milisauskas, Moses pleaded guilty to battery in the strangulation case. The felony strangulation charge was dismissed on the state’s motion, and disorderly conduct was dismissed but read in. Milisauskas withheld sentence and placed Moses on one year of probation with two days of sentence credit if revoked.
In the related domestic abuse case, Moses pleaded guilty to battery-domestic abuse. The felony bail jumping charge was dismissed on the state’s motion, and disorderly conduct-domestic abuse was dismissed but read in. Milisauskas sentenced Moses to three days, time served.
Those cases were prosecuted by the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office before the current administration inherited the office. Court records list Rosa Delgado as the prosecuting attorney on those cases.
Less than two years after those 2023 cases were resolved, Moses is now accused of similar public sexual conduct involving children while working at the Italian American Club.
At Monday’s initial appearance, defense attorney Seth Johnson asked Braun to set bail at $500 cash. Norkus asked for $5,000 cash. Braun set the $5,000 cash bail and ordered Moses to have no contact with the two girls, another witness, and the Italian American Club.
Johnson also moved to dismiss the felony exposing-genitals charge and the misdemeanor counts. Braun denied the defense motions. Prosecutors then amended portions of the complaint and dismissed two counts, leaving Moses charged with one felony count of exposing genitals to a child, one misdemeanor count of lewd and lascivious behavior, and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.
Moses faces a maximum of four years and six months of jail and prison time, along with up to $21,000 in fines, if convicted of the remaining charges.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 27.
For many who contacted Kenosha County Eye, the central question remains unanswered: How did a lifetime registered sex offender with prior convictions involving children, a felony drug conviction, a felony battery conviction and repeated domestic violence-related cases end up working at a community club where families and children attend events?
So far, the Italian American Club president’s answer is no answer at all.
