WI man sentenced to 13 years in prison after abuse of Iron Mountain teen

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN) — A man from Wisconsin was ordered to spend over a decade in prison at a sentencing hearing on Wednesday after he was found guilty of abusing a minor.

Todd Allen Stafford was convicted on three criminal counts earlier this year related to his crimes last summer, including one count of coercion and enticement and two charges of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual acts.

You can find details on the State’s allegations against Stafford in our prior coverage .

Police were alerted to Stafford’s behavior after parents discovered concerning messages on their child’s phone. After investigating, police posed as the teen to lure Stafford to a park in Iron Mountain before surrounding and arresting him.

On Wednesday, Federal Court Judge Jane Beckering sentenced Stafford to 156 months (13 years) in prison followed by five years of supervised release. District Attorney Mark Totten had asked the judge for about double that, while Stafford’s defense attorney contested the State’s claim that there was a “pattern of prohibited sexual conduct” that warranted a higher sentence.

In his letter recommending the higher sentence to the judge, Totten wrote:

[Stafford] committed a heinous crime; he has shown that he does not respect the law; and he needs to be specifically deterred. Defendant raped a minor. He did so while he was nearing 60 years of age and while knowing the victim was under 18 years of age. Defendant’s actions have caused minor victim and their family significant trauma and made them distrust others.

Making matters worse, Defendant committed perjury during trial and thereby showed a complete disregard for the rule of law. Defendant’s actions in this case are part of a broader pattern of not taking responsibility for his actions. Even now, he continues to shift blame to a child and continues to deny his prior criminal conduct.

Federal Prosecutor Mark Totten in Sentencing Memorandum

Several people also wrote letters to the judge on Stafford’s behalf, with many highlighting his military service, kind nature, and contributions to his family. In one letter, a family member said:

Todd is deeply remorseful for his actions, and this has been evident in our conversations. He has expressed a sincere regret for the mistakes he has made and the impact they have had on others. His family has also suffered greatly from this ordeal, and the incarceration weighs heavily on all of us. However, Todd is committed to making amends and learning from this experience.

Family member of Todd Stafford in letter to Judge Beckering

You can learn more about the case in our previous reporting.

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