Star Journal

Top Menu

  • Contact Us
  • Hodag Star Journal E-Edition
  • Subscribe

Main Menu

  • Local
    • News
    • Business
    • Schools
    • Law & Order
    • Arts & Ent
    • Wedding Planner
    • Viewpoint
    • Sports
      • Sports News
      • High School Sports Scores
  • Covid 19
  • Outdoors
  • Wellness
  • Classifieds
  • Obits
  • Lake View
  • Northwoods NOW
  • Living On The Lake
  • Contact Us
  • Hodag Star Journal E-Edition
  • Subscribe

logo

Star Journal

  • Local
    • News
    • Business
    • Schools
    • Law & Order
    • Arts & Ent
    • Wedding Planner
    • Viewpoint
    • Sports
      • Sports News
      • High School Sports Scores
  • Covid 19
  • Outdoors
  • Wellness
  • Classifieds
  • Obits
  • Lake View
  • Northwoods NOW
  • Living On The Lake
Law & Order
Home›Local›Law & Order›Rhinelander man charged with child trafficking in Marathon County Court

Rhinelander man charged with child trafficking in Marathon County Court

By StarJournal
September 23, 2020
1732
0
Share:

By Katie Thoresen, WXPR

A Rhinelander man charged with trafficking of a child appeared in Marathon County Court Tuesday.

Paul Osterman

Paul Osterman, 34, was arrested Monday after a two-year investigation.

Court documents show a history of messages on the “Meet Me” app of a man using a variety of names. There 11 different incidents where the man tells the person he’s messaging he can pay a lot of money if they can get him a “much younger girl.”

For a more than a year police could not track the message to a person. The IP addresses kept tying back to internet connections at places around Rhinelander like the McDonald’s on Stevens Street, Mode’s Machines and More, and Northwoods Connect.

Osterman is the co-founder of Northwoods Connect, an internet service provider.

Police interviewed him in December 2018 about the Northwoods Connect IP address being used. According the criminal complaint, he told police any one of his 400 customers could have been using it and there was no way to track one specific customer to the IP address.

In February of this year, Osterman’s car was seen near one of the WIFI locations often used. A Rhinelander police officer asked Osterman what he was doing there for several hours. Osterman told the officer he was the owner of Northwoods Connect and was testing the internet speed of his competitors.

The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office got a warrant to put a GPS locator on Osterman’s car in April.

In May, GPS data from Osterman’s car matched up with a message sent on the “Meet Me” app for a man to meet with a 9-year-old girl at a motel in Tomahawk. Osterman never showed for the meet. The meet up turned out to be fake.

On June 8, multiple agencies, including the state Department of Criminal Investigations, set up an operation to meet up with Osterman.

The GPS locator put his car at the park in Marathon County where he was supposed to meet up with the under-cover agent who told Osterman she could get him a 9-year-old girl.

Police say Osterman walked around the park but never actually met up with the agent even though they continued to exchange messages.

Osterman was arrested Monday in Oneida County and immediately transferred to Marathon County Jail.

His cash bond is set at $50,000. If he posts bond, he cannot have contact with anyone under 18, has to turn his passport over to the Sheriff’s Department, isn’t allowed to leave Wisconsin, and can’t use internet capable devices.

Osterman is due back in court later this month.

TagsChild TraffickingPaul Osterman
Previous Article

Tips for a healthy school year

Next Article

OCHD drive-thru flu shot clinic Saturday

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • Law & Order

    No contest plea in 2018 Three Lakes homicide-drunk driving case

    August 2, 2019
    By StarJournal
  • Law & Order

    Top five warrants this week – March 2

    March 2, 2018
    By StarJournal
  • Law & Order

    Sheriff’s office seeks suspect

    June 15, 2018
    By StarJournal
  • Law & Order

    Merrill men charged in methamphetamine conspiracy

    July 15, 2016
    By StarJournal
  • Law & Order

    UPDATE: Tatrow allegedly took almost $80,000 from employer in four months

    August 16, 2018
    By StarJournal
  • Law & OrderLocal

    Oneida County court report: week of December 27-January 6

    January 10, 2020
    By StarJournal

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

About Us


Star Journal is published by Multi Media Channels LLC, N2919 County Road QQ Waupaca, WI 54981.

Timeline

  • January 25, 2021

    Rhinelander hosts GNC wrestling meet

  • January 25, 2021

    Boys basketball: Hodags Host Eagles

  • January 25, 2021

    Northern Edge Hockey

  • January 25, 2021

    Girls basketball: Rhinelander travels to Three Lakes

  • January 25, 2021

    High School gymnastics: Hodags host Red Robins

Find us on Facebook

  • Contact Us
  • Hodag Star Journal E-Edition
  • Subscribe
Copyright © 2020 Multi Media Channels LLC.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted without the prior written consent of Multi Media Channels LLC.
×