Wisconsin Man To Cop Plea In Couch Sex Case

JANUARY 15--The Wisconsin man charged with having curbside sex with an abandoned couch is negotiating a plea bargain with prosecutors and is expected to cop next month to a misdemeanor charge, records show.

Gerard Streator is due in Waukesha County Circuit Court on February 25 for a “plea/sentencing hearing,” according to a court docket. Streator, who turns 47 tomorrow, was arrested last September for lewd and lascivious behavior.

As detailed in a criminal complaint, Streator’s 11 PM furniture tryst was interrupted by an off-duty police officer out for a jog. The cop, Ryan Edwards, reported spotting “a subject leaning over the couch facing down and it looked like he was having sexual relations with someone on the couch.”

As he approached the yellow couch, Edwards yelled, “What are you doing?” The suspect--later identified as Streator--responded by dismounting and running away. As Streator fled, Edwards “could see that the defendant’s penis was erect.” Edwards added that Streator “had been thrusting his pelvic area against the cushions and trying to sexually gratify himself by rubbing his penis between the two cushions.”

Streator, seen in the above mug shot, was subsequently arrested at the hotel where he works.

An attorney for Streator, Jonathan LaVoy, said that his firm was working on a plea deal with prosecutors, adding that punishment could include probation, work release, or a fine. “We want to focus on mental health issues,” said LaVoy, who added that he anticipated presenting the sentencing judge with a doctor’s assessment of Streator, who is currently “involved in treatment,” according to court records.

Streator is expected to enter a guilty plea, as opposed to a no contest plea, which cannot be used against a defendant in civil litigation. The couch in question, LaVoy said, is not in a position to sue his client. (2 pages)