Monroe County District Attorney Kevin Croninger announced today that Mark Brooner, 54, of Tomah was sentenced to 35 years in prison on his convictions for child sex crimes. The decades-long sentence was imposed by Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Richard Radcliffe. Brooner will be 89 years old when he is released. Brooner will then be supervised by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for 20 years following his release and will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
Brooner was convicted by a Monroe County jury of 23 child sex crimes after a 4-day jury trial in April. Brooner committed the offenses against 2 victims over an 11-year period between 2008 and 2019. He began victimizing each child when she was approximately 8 years old and continued into each’s teenage years. At sentencing, one victim provided insight into the childhood innocence snatched from her by noting she still had baby teeth when Brooner first began sexually assaulting her.
Brooner’s convictions mandated a minimum prison sentence of 25 years but allowed for a
possible maximum prison sentence of over 435 years. The Department of Corrections recommended
a prison sentence between 25 and 40 years. The prosecution recommended 135 years, arguing
Brooner’s perverted and heinous actions, combined with his previous conviction for sexually assault a
teenager in 1988, justified confinement exceeding Brooner’s life expectancy.
Assistant District Attorney Sarah Skiles, who handled the case, observed, “Brooner used and
abused people for his own perverse sexual gratification for the entirety of his adult life without regard
for the trauma he left in his wake.” Skiles continued, “Sexual predators belong in prison to prevent
them from inflicting future harm. Monroe County will be a safer place for many decades with Brooner
in prison.” She also noted, “This outcome would not have been possible without the brave victims who
came forward to stop Brooner. It would also not have been possible without the dedicated
professionals who poured their hearts into seeking justice in this case, including Detective John Brose
of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, as well as paralegal Sara Kast, victim specialist Anje Schmitz,
and Investigator Andrew Kuen of the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.”

For more information on this case, please go to Wisconsin Circuit Court Access at
https://wcca.wicourts.gov and search for Monroe County Case No. 2022CF000234. Please direct
media inquiries to Kevin Croninger, Monroe County District Attorney, at 608-269-8780 or
monroe.call@da.wi.gov.