New charges filed against convicted sex offender

New charges have been filed in Douglas County Circuit Court against a convicted child sex offender accused of volunteering to work with children in Superior.

Michael Ira Burns, 31, of Superior was convicted of second degree sexual assault of a child in 1998 in Washburn County Circuit Court. He is required to remain on the Wisconsin sex offender registry for life, according to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections website.

In December, felony charges were filed against Burns for volunteering at a Superior elementary school event, failing to update his registry information and having a Facebook account under the alias of “Mike Burl.”

After a story about the charges appeared in the Superior Telegram, a local pastor called the Superior Police Department to report that Burns had been volunteering with children at his church. Friday, Burns made his initial appearance in Douglas County Circuit Court on a new felony count of child sex offender working with children stemming from the volunteer work at the church.

According to the criminal complaint:

The pastor told Officer Jon McKinnon of the Superior Police Department that Burns and his girlfriend volunteered together at the church’s free clothing closet. The girlfriend would help parents pick out clothing while Burns watched the children.

The clothes closet provides items for newborns through age 14.

The church secretary told McKinnon she recalled a specific appointment when Burns watched three children, all under the age of 5, while his girlfriend helped their mother find clothes for them.

Cash bail of $1,000 was set in the case, with the condition that Burns have no contact with minors. A preliminary hearing on the new charge was set for Jan. 25. Burns is scheduled to appear for arraignment on the first set of charges next month.

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