Former pastor at Independence church is charged with child enticement in Wisconsin

A former pastor who recently left his post at an Independence church to take a position as a pastor in Wisconsin has been charged in that state with felony child enticement.

Scott A. Patschke, 53, had been a senior pastor at the Messiah Lutheran Church in Independence until he left in August, according to church leaders. He moved to Wisconsin, where he is reportedly accused of sending sexual messages to someone he thought was a 15-year-old boy.

Prosecutors in Marathon County, Wis., charged Patschke on Thursday with child enticement to sexual contact in connection with an alleged incident on Sept. 21.

According to local news reports in Wisconsin, Patschke is accused of exchanging messages through apps called Grindr and Text Now, requesting photos and sending a photo of his genitalia.

Local television station WSAW reported that Patschke was not communicating with a boy but instead with a citizen group called IMPACT that conducts online stings to catch sex offenders.

Patschke had been working as an associate pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wausau, Wis. He resigned from his position, according to a church newsletter.

In Independence, members of the Messiah Lutheran Church at 613 S. Main Street were shocked to hear about Patschke’s arrest last week, congregation president Todd Bodenstab said on Sunday.

“It kind of blows you away,” Bodenstab said. “We’re at a loss right now … I don’t know, all we can do is pray for him.”

Patschke had been at the church in Independence for about nine years, Bodenstab said.

Bodenstab said the pastor left Messiah Lutheran after being requested to serve at the Wisconsin church. Bodenstab said he had not heard of any complaints about the pastor’s behavior in Independence.

Patschke was released from jail on a $2,000 bond, on the condition that he not use the Internet.

He has a court date scheduled for Tuesday in Marathon County Court.