Sommers ordered to trial on sex charges

APPLETON - A 20-year-old Hortonville woman pregnant for the second time by a now-14-year-old boy has been ordered to stand trial on new charges of sexually assaulting the boy.

Lacy Sommers was first charged last October with repeated sexual assault of a child and later gave birth to a son. She is scheduled for trial in August on an amended charge of third-degree sexual assault.

She was arrested again May 1 on charges of repeated sexual assault of a child and bail jumping involving contact with the boy, who lives in New London.

"What we have to do is we have to protect the victim in this case, that's what our job is," said Sergeant Eugene Bunnell of the Outagamie County Sheriff's Department.

According to court documents filed in the original case, the boy met Lacy Sommers when she came to live with his family. The boy told police he got along well with Sommers and they began dating in September of 2007.

Investigators say Sommers told them "She knew she was not supposed to have contact" with the boy. However, she said, "She loves him."

According to the complaint, the boy's mother knew about the relationship, but she told investigators, "She did not do anything to prevent the contact."

Bunnell won't say if the boy's mother will be investigated for not reporting the contact to police.
He says he didn't expect Sommers would be back in court facing new charges.

“Because of the severity of the charges the first time, I was kind of surprised,” said Bunnell.

And while Sommers is innocent until proven guilty, Psychologist Frank Cummings offered some perspective on what could lead someone to be a repeat offender.

“It's really no different than any other kind of addictive problem, whether it be with alcohol or smoking or gambling. There's an old saying, if you get caught once, it could be a mistake, two times, you've got a problem,” said psychologist Frank Cummings.

Sommers is due back in court July 28, when she is expected to enter a plea to the new charges.

FOX 11 tried to speak with the boy's father, but someone at his residence told us no comment. The boy's mother was not home and did not return a message left on her phone.

Attorneys for both sides declined comment after court.