Courts

No reduction in sentence for choir director in prison for sexually assaulting teenage girls

Published

4 years ago

June 15, 2020

A former show choir director sent to prison for sexual assault will not get a break in his sentence, for now.

Thirty-six-year-old Dustin Bagstad is serving an 8-year prison term, after being convicted on 5 counts of assaulting teenage girls while he was a choir director in the La Crosse school district.

Bagstad was asking for a reduction in the 32 years of extended supervision which will be imposed after he’s out of prison.

The attorney assigned to handle Bagstad’s appeal said the 32 years is far beyond the punishment imposed in similar cases around the La Crosse area.

But Judge Todd Bjerke says he intended to have a long supervision period, representing several individual victims.

Bjerke says he doesn’t believe in having multiple sentences served all at the same time.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.