Milwaukee County jury convicts man of ‘dating app predator’ crimes

A Milwaukee County jury found a Racine man guilty of kidnapping a 79-year-old Franklin woman and various crimes against other women that earned him the moniker the “dating app predator.”

The jury deliberated for just under an hour on March 14 before reaching guilty verdicts against Timothy Olson.

The jury convicted him on five counts: felony kidnapping, two felony charges of burglary, one felony charge of using personal identifying information and one charge of misdemeanor obstruction.

Olson, 55, acted as his own lawyer and continuously sparred with Circuit Court Judge Kristy Yang since the trial got underway March 11.

Throughout the five-day trial, Olson repeatedly interrupted the judge and tried to testify or talk with witnesses while they were on the stand.

In one instance, Olson appeared to have some kind of medical episode that prompted early dismissal of the jury.

Olson had to be removed from the court several times in 15-minute intervals for violating the rules of decorum, prolonging the trial.

Olson was arrested Nov. 29, 2022, several days after police found an elderly woman near South 108th Street and West Beloit Road, frantically waving her hands inside a white Honda Accord with its flashers on.

She told the officers she had been abducted, and that she managed to escape. She told police a man took her phone and credit cards.

Racine Police had issued warnings about Olson, saying he is linked to three women who fell unconscious in his presence at a bar.

Before the jury started its deliberation, Olson attempted to file a mistrial motion. Previously, he had argued that Assistant District Attorney Sara Sadowski and the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office had not fully turned over evidence to him during discovery and that what was given to him was redacted.

Some of the missing evidence, Olson claimed, was exculpatory and could prove his innocence.

A sentencing hearing and a motion hearing were scheduled for March 17.

While Olson represented himself at trial, Milwaukee lawyer John Thaddeus Wasielewski was in court each day as his standby counsel.

Chris Ramirez covers courts for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at caramirez@usatodayco.com.