Man who sexually assaulted child won't have to register

ELKHORN, Wis. (AP) - A 19-year-old Elkhorn man has been convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, but a judge says the teen won't have to register as a sex offender.

Nicholas Cook was sentenced to six months in jail Monday after pleading guilty to sexual assault of a child. Walworth County Judge James Carlson says the sex offender registry is not a punishment, but a tool to protect the community. And, Carlson says he doesn't think Cook is a threat to the community.

Cook is one of three Elkhorn men convicted of assaulting the girl in December 2013.

The Janesville Gazette (http://bit.ly/1BXiN2l ) reports that since the charges were filed in February, four Walworth County judges have been substituted or recused themselves because of personal relationships with the defendants or their families.

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Information from: The Janesville Gazette, http://www.gazetteextra.com