September 17, 2026 – West Bend, Wi – Neighbors in the area of Greentree Elementary School in West Bend, Wi, received a notification from West Bend Police this week about a registered sex offender that will be released September 22, 2026, and moved to within 1 mile of the school. The notification is for Payton Lamberty, 25, of West Bend, Wi. According to the sex offender bulletin, he will be returned to his home in the 2100 block of Willowbrook Drive.
Sex Offender Release Notification:
2100 Block Willowbrook Drive
On Thursday, September 17, 2026, neighborhood residents were notified of the scheduled move of this sex offender into the community.
According to the Washington County Circuit Court, Lamberty had a dozen Felony D charges for possession of child pornography filed in December 2022. Lamberty appeared in Judge Sandra Giernoth’s court where he pleaded guilty to two charges and the other 10 charges were dismissed, but read into the record.
According to CCAP a Psychosexual Evaluation was submitted to the court by a physician on September 22, 2023. That report has been sealed.
Calls have been placed to West Bend School Board president Chris Zwygart for comment.
Calls have been placed to West Bend Police Chief Tim Dehring for comment.
Calls have been place to Supervising agent Monica Daniels and she said she could not comment.
A check of records shows the City of West Bend, Wi does not have a municipal ordinance restricting the residency of registered sex offenders relative to schools. A check of other municipalities shows some communities enforce a buffer zone on placement of a registered sex offender as 750 feet to 1,500 feet from a park or school. Details on state statute restrictions are below.
Click HERE for the 6-page document on Wisconsin sex offender restrictions and requirements
A portion of the Payton Lamberty criminal complaint is below. Click HERE for the full criminal complaint. Please note the contents of the complaint may be considered graphic and disturbing in nature.
Below is a statement released by the WBPD
Dear Resident:
The attached bulletin is being sent to you to make you aware of a sex offender that is being released to live in your neighborhood. This placement has been determined by the Department of Corrections and is strictly guided and regulated by state law. The sex offender has served their prison sentence and is at a mandatory release date into our community. Please carefully read the attached bulletin for specific information regarding the offender.
The West Bend Police Department and the Department of Corrections are taking strong action steps to ensure your safety. Upon release, the offender will be closely monitored by the Department of Corrections specialized sex offender supervision program.
This is a very restrictive and intensely monitored supervision program. In addition to the normal restrictions for a subject on supervision, this sex offender is under additional specific rules and intense sanctions they must follow.
Some of those rules are highlighted on the attached bulletin. (see above) The offender’s location will be tracked at all times by a GPS monitoring system and will alert the Department of Corrections if they go to any restricted areas such as schools, parks and playgrounds. If this happens, the Department of Corrections will contact the West Bend Police Department and we will take immediate action.
In addition to the Department of Corrections, the West Bend Police Department maintains a robust sex offender monitoring program administered by the Criminal Investigations section. This program deploys detectives and beat area police officers to conduct regular and random compliance checks on all sex offenders residing in West Bend.
Any violations discovered, either during an investigation or as a result of these checks, is immediately acted upon by the Police Department. Initially our officers will be checking on the offender mentioned in the bulletin on a daily basis. Please know the Police Department takes a very aggressive stance at monitoring the registered sex offenders living in the City of West Bend.
The West Bend Police Department has informed our area partners, including the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Washington County District Attorney, the West Bend Parks Department, and the West Bend School District of the release and will continue to partner with these organizations and the Department of Corrections to keep our citizens safe.
While the crimes committed warrant concern and vigilance, it is important to note the offender is NOT WANTED for arrest and is working towards rehabilitation and re-entry as a productive member of society. There is no need to contact the police department based on simple recognition.
If, however, a citizen believes the offender is or has violated a condition of their extended supervision, immediately call the West Bend Police Department at (262) 335-5000 or 911 in the case of an emergency. See Something, Say Something.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and the attached bulletin. While this is certainly an uncomfortable topic, it is not going to go away by ignoring it. The Police Department believes keeping you informed and engaged in the safety of the community is the best way to address this issue. I encourage you to follow the Police Department’s Facebook page for more information concerning this and other topics related to the safety of our community. You can also call my office or any of the Department of Corrections agents listed on the bulletin if you have further questions or concerns.
Protect and Serve,
Tim Dehring
This is a working story, and more information will be posted when details are available.
