Registered sex offenders allegedly assault 17-year-old girl

DANE COUNTY, Wis. (WMTV)---Four Madison men are facing charges for allegedly sexually assaulting an intoxicated 17-year-old girl at a home in the town of Blooming Grove.

Deputies said the house is designated as emergency housing for men under the supervision of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC).

According to the Dane County Sheriff's Office, detectives executed a search warrant at 3150 St. Paul Avenue on Tuesday. According to the search warrant, the teenage girl was in a car with the men when they gave her ecstasy. She told police they then drove around for a bit before going to the Blooming Grove home.

The home on Saint Paul Avenue is a Department of Corrections transition facility for recent offenders. The teen says she told police all four men sexually assaulted her inside one of the bedrooms. Court documents show she cried for the men to stop but the assaults, continued.

Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney says the ability for this occur in a home ran by the DOC is troubling. "We chose to address as this is, a heinous, criminal, sexual assault," Mahoney said. "I'm quite concerned when we have the potential of victimization of any victim by individuals who are under supervised released."

22-year-old Stephon K. Hiler, 32-year-old James Phillips, 25-year-old Reginald H Patton and 18-year-old Nathan J Thompson were all arrested and face charges of second degree sexual assault of an intoxicated victim. The 17-year old girl lives in a group home.

They said Hiler, Phillips and Patton all reside at the house, and they are all registered sex offenders. Thompson doesn't live in the house, but was part of the Clerk of Courts bail monitoring program.

The home has been in use by the DOC since 2009. Officials with the department say area residents are notified every time a sex offender moves into that facility. Officials say those offenders were not allowed to have any visitors at the residence.

There are five total residents in that home including the three taken into custody. When NBC15 asked the DOC if they would be making any changes following this incident, they said they are still reviewing it.

This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information on this crime is being asked to call the Dane County tip line at (608) 284-6900.