SAWYER COUNTY -- Registered sex offender Donald R. Butler, age 67, of Hawyard, WI, is facing new charges of 1st Degree Sexual Assault of a Child.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Sawyer County Circuit Court, the charges pertain to alleged incident(s) that occurred during a time span between June 2007 and March 2008.
The criminal complaint states that a forensic interview was conducted with a child who provided information that Butler had sexually assaulted the child sometime between June 2007 and March 2008.
When law enforcement interviewed Butler about the allegations, Butler acknowledged knowing the child’s family but denied any recollection of any sexual contact with the child, stating that he was a heavy drinker “back then” and did not remember a lot of things.
The criminal complaint charges Butler with Class B Felony 1st Degree Sexual Assault Of A Child Under Age 12 and Class B Felony 1st Degree Child Sexual Assault - Contact With A Child Under Age 13.
If convicted as charged, Butler faces a total of 120 years imprisonment if sentenced to the maximum on both charges.
According to the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry website ( https://appsdoc.wi.gov/public ) Butler was previously convicted in 1991 in Sawyer County for First-Degree Sexual Assault of a Child, and also was convicted of First-Degree Sexual Assault for charges filed in 1985. Details of these cases were not available through online circuit court records.
Butler is required to register as a sex offender for lifetime. Online circuit court records show that in 2009 Butler was convicted in Sawyer County of Class H Felony Sex Offender Registry Violation. The new criminal complaint filed against Butler states that since 2011 Butler has been required to wear a GPS monitor.
At a bail bond hearing on May 31, 2019, the Court set a cash bail bond of $200,000 for Butler. Conditions of his bail bond prohibit him from having any contact with anyone under age 18.
Butler is scheduled to appear again next week regarding his charges.
Pursuant to the direction of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicly, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Last Update: Jun 21, 2019 10:45 pm CDT
