A Republican mayor in Wisconsin is facing criminal charges after investigators say hidden camera footage captured him entering a teenage girl’s bedroom and engaging in disturbing behavior on two separate mornings.
Wesley Dingus, 48, the mayor of the Village of Butler, was arraigned this week on two counts of voyeurism. Court records show Magistrate John D. McCollister set Dingus’ bond at $10,000, allowing a 10% cash option, and ordered him placed on electronic monitoring. The court also imposed a strict no-contact order between Dingus and the accuser.
According to investigators, the case stems from an incident reported to Richland County Sheriff’s Office on January 13, after Richland County Children’s Services received video footage recorded by a minor. Authorities say the footage appeared to show Dingus inside the teenager’s bedroom, handling her underwear and smelling it.
Law enforcement officials said a deputy and a Children’s Services representative met with the teen at her high school the following day. During that meeting, she explained she had become suspicious that Dingus was entering her room without permission. In an effort to confirm her concerns, she purchased a small camera and concealed it inside her bedroom.
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The girl told investigators she left for school around 7 a.m. on January 13 and received a motion alert roughly 15 minutes later. When she reviewed the recording, she allegedly saw Dingus enter her room and smell her underwear.
She reported a similar incident the following morning at approximately 7:17 a.m. Police say the second video again showed Dingus entering the room, smelling her worn underwear, and touching his groin area over his clothes. The recordings were later turned over to authorities.
After reviewing the evidence and conducting interviews, investigators forwarded the case to the Mansfield City Law Director’s office on January 26. On February 12, deputies prepared two summonses after consulting with Assistant Law Director Rob Sharp. Dingus was formally served the next day.
The voyeurism charges are not Dingus’ first encounter with the criminal justice system. He is currently out on bond in a separate case stemming from an incident last summer in which he allegedly “struck a suspect fleeing police” with his vehicle.
In August 2025, Dingus was arraigned on multiple charges in that matter, including aggravated assault, vehicular assault, falsification, and dereliction of duty. Two of those charges are fourth-degree felonies.
In that earlier case, Dingus also pleaded not guilty. A judge allowed his release on a $25,000 bond, prohibited him from driving during the proceedings, and ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring device—conditions that mirror those imposed in the current voyeurism case.
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