Overview
- The law was drafted after a Kenosha teacher, Christian Enwright, began contacting a 14‑year‑old in mid‑2023 and later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in April 2025 because prosecutors said existing statutes could not reach his behavior.
- Legislators passed Assembly Bill 677 overwhelmingly in January and Gov. Tony Evers signed it in March, creating a felony for a pattern of conduct intended to condition, seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a child into sexual activity or pornography.
- Francesca Hong was one of six lawmakers who voted against the measure in the Assembly, joining members of the small Socialist Caucus who said the bill risked overreach or redundancy with existing law.
- Prosecutors began using the new statute within weeks of it taking effect, charging at least one suspect, Joseph W. Cook, in a case prosecutors say involved years of encrypted messaging with a cognitively impaired girl.
- Right‑leaning outlets have highlighted Hong’s no vote and past social‑media posts as she leads the Democratic primary, a development that could shape messaging in the general election matchup many expect against Rep. Tom Tiffany.