La Crosse man gets probation after child trafficking charges are dropped

A 55-year-old man, who was arrested last year on charges of kidnapping and child trafficking, has reached a plea agreement on lesser charges. 

More serious counts against William Gerrish have been dismissed, partly because the district attorney said there might not enough evidence to convict him.

The La Crosse man is being convicted of bail jumping and contributing to the delinquency of a runaway teenage girl, who was staying at his house.

Prosecutors said last August, Gerrish repeatedly had sex with a 17-year-old girl and made her perform sexual strip dances and other sex-related acts for him and other men.

Gerrish will be on probation for three years and has spent 10 months in jail since his arrest. He’s ordered to have no contact with anyone under 18, aside from his own children.

He was originally being held in jail for drug conviction, because he skipped his sentencing and violated his bond.