Crime
UPDATE: GM of former Norwood Inn on French Island sentenced on prostitution, solicitation charges
The former general manager of the Norwood Inn on French Island was sentenced Friday.
James Ziss was charged in February 2024 for allowing the use of a place for prostitution and two counts of solicitation of prostitutes in trading sex for rooms at the hotel.
He was arrested in late January 2024. That’s when one of the victims went to the Town of Campbell Police to turn him in, after she was evicted from the hotel.
A police report said that the woman showed investigators texts and pictures of a sexual nature that were exchanged with Ziss.
A report said that Ziss paid money to the woman or her niece, who also had a room, for multiple sexual encounters over the nearly four months before the woman went to police.
The report added that the woman, “never wanted to have sex with Jim, she just did what she had to do to not be homeless.”
After the interview, police went to the hotel and arrested Ziss the following day. He denied having any kind of sexual contact with the woman. He said that the woman made the story up after she was told to leave hotel.
In court Friday, Ziss agreed to a deal that let him plead guilty to one count of solicitation and one count of disorderly conduct-domestic abuse in a separate case.
The other charges were dismissed but considered at sentencing.
Before the sentencing, Ziss apologized to La Crosse County Judge Elliott Levine for his actions back then.
Ziss said he has since become sober and is rebuilding his life. His attorney, Allison West, said he’s taken responsibility for his actions.
Assistant District Attorney Jasmine Betancourt asked the court that lengthy probation would likely help Ziss address the issues behind his actions.
After they made their statements, Levine sentenced Ziss to time served, six days, and to one year of probation that includes any evaluations or assessments suggested by the probation office and to follow through on any treatment recommendations.
