Harold Willison - Repeat Sex Offender - Rapes elderly woman and calls it consensual

A convicted sex offender from Eau Claire will spend the next three decades in a mental institution.

Tuesday, Harold Willison pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault. Last May, he broke into a 78 year old woman's home and sexually assaulted her.

He was being electronically monitored at the time, but the alarm didn't go off because he was still close to his own home. The court ordered Willison to be committed for 31 years.

Judge Paul Lenz abided by terms of a plea agreement between Eau Claire County District Attorney Rich White and public defender Jim Walsh and found Willison not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

A psychiatric examination supports an insanity finding, White said.

If Willison is ever released from an institution, he will be on lifetime supervision by corrections officials.

Walsh previously raised the issue of Willison's competency to assist with his defense, primarily because of a brain injury Willison sustained in a traffic accident several years ago.

Walsh agreed on Tuesday that Willison is competent to enter a plea in this case.

Willison told police the incident with the elderly woman was a mistake. He told police he had a strong sexual urge and had been watching the woman's house.

According to the criminal complaint:

Willison's sister noticed Willison leaving the woman's home on May 30, 2008. Willison told her the woman simply fed him.

Willison later told a second sister and Eau Claire police he had consensual sex with the woman.

But the woman told police Willison sexually assaulted her in her bathroom.

The woman said Willison entered her home and asked her if she wanted to have sex. The woman said she told Willison to get out of her house.

The woman said Willison then grabbed her and assaulted her in the bathroom.

Police said Willison was on electronic monitoring at the time of the incident but was not outside his geographical boundary or curfew requirements.

Local law enforcement designated Willison as a Level 3 sex offender when he was released from prison in November 2005. Police said Willison had a history of engaging in sexual acts with women, girls and men.

Police and corrections officials place a Level 3 designation on released sex offenders they believe pose a high risk of reoffending.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"

.........Sarah Tofte