A 36-year-old Janesville man who is accused of grooming his teenage intellectually disabled neighbor into sending him nude images and videos is bound over for trial.
Joseph Cook appeared in Rock County Court Friday morning where he waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of grooming a child for sexual activity, child enticement, exposing genitals to a child, and exposing a child to harmful material.
According to the criminal complaint, Cook spent years grooming the girl who functions at the level of a 9-year-old, even after being reported to police in 2024.
Police say Cook gave the child a phone after her parents took hers away and would masturbate while video chatting with her. He also convinced her to send him nude videos and photos.
Cook is the first person in Wisconsin to be charged under the new grooming law signed by Governor Tony Evers.
Cook is currently being held in the Rock County Jail on a $50,000 cash bond.
