Wisconsin Statutes

Wis. Stat. § 944.17 (2026)

Sexual gratification

✓ current as of July 2026
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944.17944.17Sexual gratification.
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944.17(1)(1)In this section, “in public” means in a place where or in a manner such that the person knows or has reason to know that his or her conduct is observable by or in the presence of persons other than the person with whom he or she is having sexual gratification.
944.17(2)(2)Whoever commits an act of sexual gratification in public involving the sex organ of one person and the mouth or anus of another is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
944.17(3)(3)Subsection (2) does not apply to a mother’s breast-feeding of her child.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 16 cases, 1972–2012 · leading case: John Doe 1 v. Archdiocese of Milwaukee, 2007 WI 95 (Wis. 2007).
John Doe 1 v. Archdiocese of Milwaukee, 2007 WI 95 (Wis. 2007). · cites it 4× “The Doe plaintiffs' complaints attach and incorporate these letters and other documents showing that Widera was convicted of a violation of Wis. Stat. § 944.17 (1973-74) (sexual perversion) on August 13, 1973.”
State v. Quintana, 2008 WI 33 (Wis. 2008). · cites it 4× “, Sexual perversion, Wis. Stat. § 944.17 (1955) (utilizing the word "sex organ"); Lewd and lascivious behavior, Wis.”
Loveridge v. Chartier, 468 N.W.2d 146 (Wis. 1991). · cites it 4× “Section 944.17(2)(b), Stats., provides as follows: 944.”
L.L. v. Med. Prot. Co., 362 N.W.2d 174 (Wis. Ct. App. 1984). · cites it 2× “2 Section 944.17, Stats. (1981-82), provides in part: Whoever does either of the following is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor: *464 (1)Commits an abnormal act of sexual gratification involving the sex organ of one person and the mouth or anus of another .”
State v. Simpson, 347 N.W.2d 920 (Wis. Ct. App. 1984). · cites it 6× “(1973), [2] and with sexual perversion under former sec. 944.17, Stats. (1973). [3] The supreme court rejected the defendants' contention that the former charge should be dismissed because the *461 only force used against the victim was incidental to the acts of fellatio, and…”
Swikert v. Cady, 381 F. Supp. 988 (E.D. Wis. 1974). · cites it 8× “Section 944.17 provides as follows: “Sexual perversion.”
Harrell v. State, 277 N.W.2d 462 (Wis. Ct. App. 1979). “Because consent is not an element of sec. 944.17, Stats., both consensual and non-consensual acts were included within this section.”
Fredrick Lee Pharm v. Sherman Hatcher & Attorney Gen. of the State of Wisconsin, 984 F.2d 783 (7th Cir. 1993). “11(3); Wis.Stat. § 944.17. The next day, it amended its information to charge two counts of Indecent Behavior with a Child.”
Off. of Lawyer Reg. v. Addison, 2012 WI 38 (Wis. 2012). · cites it 4× “30 (2), and two misdemeanor counts of sexual gratification in public, contrary to Wis. Stat. § 944.17 (2)(a). Attorney Addison then pled no contest to the three counts set forth in the amended information.”
Gossett v. State, 242 N.W.2d 899 (Wis. 1976). · cites it 2× “In the alternative, the defendant argued that to the extent that the statute prohibits private consensual acts of oral sex between adults, it violates the First, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and is therefore void on its face and as applied to…”
Harris v. Prast, 459 F. Supp. 303 (E.D. Wis. 1978). “§§ 944.17(1) and 939.05, and obstructing an officer contrary to Wis.”
Driscoll v. Schmidt, 354 F. Supp. 1225 (W.D. Wis. 1973). “2d at 591 ): “It is beyond reasonable argument to claim that sec. 944.17(1), Stats., was enacted to control or prohibit the consensual and private sexual intimacies of married persons.”
— Wis. Stat. § 944.17(1) — 4 cases
Swikert v. Cady, 381 F. Supp. 988 (E.D. Wis. 1974). “Section 944.17 provides as follows: “Sexual perversion.”
Harris v. Prast, 459 F. Supp. 303 (E.D. Wis. 1978). “§§ 944.17(1) and 939.05, and obstructing an officer contrary to Wis.”
Driscoll v. Schmidt, 354 F. Supp. 1225 (W.D. Wis. 1973). “2d at 591 ): “It is beyond reasonable argument to claim that sec. 944.17(1), Stats., was enacted to control or prohibit the consensual and private sexual intimacies of married persons.”
Babich v. Cady, 346 F. Supp. 286 (E.D. Wis. 1972).
— Wis. Stat. § 944.17(2) — 1 case
Swikert v. Cady, 381 F. Supp. 988 (E.D. Wis. 1974). “Section 944.17 provides as follows: “Sexual perversion.”
— Wis. Stat. § 944.17(2)(b) — 1 case
Loveridge v. Chartier, 468 N.W.2d 146 (Wis. 1991). “Section 944.17(2)(b), Stats., provides as follows: 944.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.