State seeks civil commitment for Burnett County sex offender

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is seeking to civilly commit a Burnett County man who pleaded no contest to committing incest with a child nearly 18 years ago.

A petition filed filed by the state Monday in Burnett County Circuit Court, alleges Warren S. Harer, 54, is sexually violent and should be committed for treatment.

In 1994, Harer pleaded no contest to eight counts of incest with a child in Burnett County. He was found guilty but not guilty due to mental disease or defect. Harer was committed to the Department of Health Services for institutional care. He was scheduled for conditional release from Mendota Mental Health Institute but will be detained awaiting a trial on the petition.

Under Wisconsin’s sexual predator law, a person may be civilly committed for treatment when he or she has been convicted of a sexually violent offense, has a mental disorder and is dangerous to others because the mental disorder makes it likely he or she will commit further acts of sexual violence. The law allows the state to commit a person for control, care and treatment until the person no longer is considered sexually violent.

The state alleges Harer suffers from mental conditions that predispose him to engage in acts of sexual violence, and he is dangerous as his mental disorders make it likely that he will engage in future acts of sexual violence.

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