Child abuse case, Milwaukee police officer, plea deal reached

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee police officer accused of child abuse as well as strangulation and suffocation reached a plea deal with prosecutors on Friday, July 12.

Frank Williams, 30, pleaded guilty to three counts of disorderly conduct. The initial felony charges, to which he previously pleaded not guilty, were dismissed.

Public records show Williams has been an officer with the Milwaukee Police Department for more than seven years. MPD said it remains on full suspension.

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Case details

According to a criminal complaint, Milwaukee police responded to Children’s Wisconsin in January for a child abuse complaint. A sergeant conducted a “minimum facts interview” with the child victim in the hospital’s emergency room.

The child indicated to Williams that he had “flailed” at her with a belt, resulting in bruises on the child’s left thigh, the complaint states. The sergeant also observed “7 to 8 distinct brown and reddish bruises on (the child’s) left thigh.

On January 18, the next day, a medico-legal interview of the child was conducted at the Racine Child Advocacy Center. The child told an investigator Williams beat them and gave them a “whoop” all over their bodies because they were supposed to be taking a nap but they stayed awake.

According to the criminal complaint, the child said at one point, Williams beat them with a belt, then put his hands around their necks and choked them. The child said this is not the first time this has happened.