MADISON (WI)
WMTV 15 [Madison, WI]
October 2, 2025
By Juliana Tornabene
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – A Madison priest charged with child sex crimes after an undercover operation had a not guilty plea entered on his behalf Tuesday, online court records show.
Andrew Showers appeared virtually and stood mute, according to the Waupaca County online court records.
Showers waived his preliminary hearing and was ordered to stand trial.
“Fr. Showers continues to be completely restricted by the Diocese of Madison from all public ministry and is barred from having contact with minors while the case is ongoing,” the Diocese of Madison said in a statement posted Tuesday.
The Diocese urged anyone with allegations against priests, deacons or other church personnel to report them to law enforcement at the Diocese of Madison’s Sexual Misconduct Question and Reporting Line at 608-821-3162.
Showers previously posted bond, which was set at $10,000.
He is scheduled for a status conference on Dec. 3. His attorney declined to comment on the case.
Showers, 37, is charged with attempted use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child and attempted child enticement.
The criminal complaint states a Clintonville Police Department sergeant was posing as a 14-year-old girl, named Abby, on Aug. 10.
The sergeant used Reddit to create a post, claiming to be seeking a man to meet up for sex with in Wisconsin.
Showers allegedly sent an explicit photo to her and talked about sexual acts, according to the complaint.
The pair agreed to meet up on Aug. 24, which is when he was arrested.
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