Former Assumption High School Coach Accused of Producing Naked Images of Students Appears in Court

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024 -- 12:00 PM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) The former Assumption High School coach accused of producing naked images of students in his home appeared in court on Monday, facing ten felony counts for capturing intimate photos.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, Seth Milkey appeared for an arrangement on Monday. He and his defense team stood mute when the court asked for his plea. Court records show the judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Investigators say Milkey used a hidden camera in his bathroom to capture the photos, some of which featured students he mentored. The images, which investigators say were taken between 2019-2023, did not depict sex acts but did show nudity.

Someone in Milkey’s family discovered the images on his laptop earlier this spring. When he was confronted, Milkey threatened to commit suicide which led to a welfare check from police. Milkey served as a coach at Assumption High School until 2021 when he resigned for other opportunities.

The Catholic Diocese of La Crosse, which oversees Assumption High School, released a statement shortly after the charges came to light saying the 34-year-old passed all of their background checks before and during his employment.

The statement added that having students visit him at his home for counseling was a “clear and troubling violation of diocesan and school policy.” Charges against Milkey carry a combined maximum penalty of 35 years in prison and thousands in fines.

He is free on a $25,000 signature bond with a full no-contact order against eight victims and their families and no unsupervised contact with other minors except his own children. Further court action has been scheduled for October 18th.

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