ALGONA – A Northern Iowa father and his parents have all been arrested after a young child from Kossuth county was taken to Wisconsin in violation of a judge’s orders.
The Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office reports that they have been investigating a case of a 5-year-old child that was removed from Kossuth county by a parent in violation of a civil temporary custody court order. This case has been ongoing since July of 2025. In September of 2025, the court issued a bench wWarrant for 33-year-old Douglas John Roth, formerly of Titonka, Iowa, because he failed to appear for a civil court hearing. It was determined that Roth had taken the child out of state and was believed to be in Wisconsin.
In November of 2025, the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office filed a charge against Roth for violation of a custodial order, a Class D Felony. Authorities in Wisconsin were contacted to assist in locating Douglas John Roth and the child. On January 12, 2026, the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office filed a Kidnapping (third degree) for secretly confining a person and interfering with a government function, a class C felony.
On January 19, 2026, authorities in Wisconsin executed a warrant at N5069 Hwy 73 in the Township of Richland, Rusk County, Glen Flora, Wisconsin, and arrested Emil Roth, age 59 and Audrey Roth, age 59 for interfering with parental custody/party to a crime.
Douglas John Roth was arrested in Taylor county, Wisconsin for warrants out of Kossuth County. Douglas John Roth will eventually be extradited back to Kossuth County to face his charges, the sheriff’s office said.
The child (who had been entered as a Missing Child) was also located at the above Wisconsin address and returned to the mother, who had received temporary physical custody of the child from a June 2025 court order.
The Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in this investigation by the Kossuth County Attorney’s Office, the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin, and others.
Emil and Audry Roth are the parents of Douglas John Roth and were charged in Wisconsin for interfering with a parental custody issue/party to a crime for helping to conceal the location of Douglas John Roth and the child.