Wisconsin man to serve 19 years in federal prison for taking 14-year-old across state lines for sex 

By Trish Mehaffey, The Gazette

A Wisconsin man was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison Tuesday for taking a 14-year-old Maquoketa girl across state lines to have sex on four separate occassions. Christopher Heath-Lowther, 30, of Platteville, Wis., pleaded guilty to one count each of transporting a minor across a state line with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and traveling across a state line for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in November 2014. He admitted to traveling from Wisconsin to Iowa between December 2013 and February 2014 to take the minor from Maquoketa to Wisconsin for sex. During a previous hearing, FBI Special Agent Thomas Reinwart testified the 14-year-old told authorities she had sex with Heath-Lowther in Maquoketa and in Wisconsin on four separate occasions. The girl would contact Heath-Lowther through messaging on her phone or computer, he would pick her up in Maquoketa and they would travel in his car to Platteville. According to court documents, a warrant was served at Heath-Lowther's residence and sexually explicit photos he sent to the girl, as well as photos he received from her were recovered. Reinwart also testified during the previous hearing that the girl became pregnant from the relationship and that she had given birth. Heath-Lowther will also be required to serve 10 years of supervised released following his prison time.