Former Wisconsin Rapids youth pastor charged with repeated sexual assault of a child

A warrant was issued for the arrest of James R. Lane, who was a youth pastor at Faith Reformed Church in Wisconsin Rapids from 2000-2004.

WISCONSIN RAPIDS − A 52-year-old Colorado man who worked as a youth minister at a Wisconsin Rapids church from 2000 until 2004 is accused of sexually assaulting a member of his youth group.

James R. Lane, of Centennial, Colorado, faces a charge of repeated sexual assault of a child. Wood County Circuit Judge Greg Potter issued a warrant for Lane’s arrest on June 19.

According to the criminal complaint, in March, a 36-year-old woman told a Wisconsin special agent that Lane was the youth pastor at Faith Reformed Church in Wisconsin Rapids. She said when she as 14- or 15-years-old Lane gave her a ride home after she babysat for his children. They were on a back road of Wisconsin 13 when he began kissing her. The woman said Lane stuck his hands inside of her pants and touched her inappropriately, according to the complaint.

The woman said on several occasions, Lane would “lay her down” on the floor of his office or other areas of the church and would get on top of her and kiss and touch her inappropriately. She said it happened about eight to 10 times while she was 14 or 15, according to the complaint.

Two special agents talked to Lane on May 13. Lane said he had a “relationship” with a girl in the youth group that got “inappropriate.” He confirmed the girl’s identity and said he had inappropriately touched the girl, according to the complaint. He said there were three to six times when they went on drives in his car and did what he described as “heavy petting.”

Lane said he and his family moved to Colorado in 2004.

If convicted, Lane faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

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Contact Karen Madden at 715-345-2245 or kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.