**WARNING** This article contains content that may not be suitable for all readers.
A criminal complaint has been filed in Sawyer County Circuit Court against 56 year old David Dutcher, of Hayward, WI, charging him with Class C Felony Repeated Sexual Assault of a Child.
The criminal complaint states that between August 2017 and January 2018, Dutcher repeatedly sexually assaulted a 15-year-old juvenile female.
On June 4, 2018, a report was received by the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department from Child Protective Services regarding a possible sexual assault. As the juvenile female’s residence was found to be in Burnett County, it was determined that a forensic interview with her would be conducted at the Burnett County Sheriff’s Department on June 8, 2018, according to the criminal complaint.
During the interview, the juvenile female stated that although she primarily resides in Burnett County, she visits family in Sawyer County regularly throughout the year including the summer months. The juvenile female went on to state that the sexual assaults started sometime between early August 2017 and September 2017 and ended after Christmas break or in early January 2018. She also stated that her reason for disclosing the assaults now was because she thought she would be sent to visit her Sawyer County family members during the summer months of 2018.
The juvenile female stated that on the incident of the first assault in August 2017, Dutcher approached her from behind and reached under her shirt, touching her breast, outside her bra. He then reached down the front of her pants and touched her vagina.
The subsequent assaults occurred either at the motel where Dutcher worked, or in the car when they were driving, or at Dutcher’s residence.
According to the criminal complaint, Dutcher took the juvenile female into a particular room of the motel which had a jacuzzi type hot tub, on multiple occasions, and forced her to perform oral sex on him, or to have intercourse.
The juvenile female went on to state that on numerous occasions while in a car with Dutcher, he would force her to masturbate while he watched her.
Assaults also occurred at Dutcher’s residence, according to the statements by the juvenile female. One incident occurred after Dutcher’s wife had went to bed, when Dutcher snuck out of his bedroom and performed oral sex on the juvenile female. She stated further that on two other incidents, Dutcher had made her use a candle stick to masturbate herself.
The juvenile female stated to investigators that during the assaults, she did not say anything to Dutcher because she didn’t want to make him mad. She went on to say that sometimes Dutcher would wear a condom during the assaults, and that he had given her money on at least one occasion to purchase condoms.
Investigating officers also conducted an interview with Dutcher on June 8, 2018. During that interview, officers advised Dutcher of the accusations against him, and he denied all of the allegations. Dutcher stated that he had paid the juvenile female on one occasion, $40.00, for work she helped to do at the motel.
During his interview, Dutcher also told officers that he “can’t remember jack because I’m on so much medication”, and and that due to the medication, he is unable to perform sexually, so he wasn’t worried about these accusations.
Dutcher also told investigating officers that he believed that the juvenile female was making up the allegations because she was upset that he had not given her a job.
A search warrant was conducted on Dutcher’s residence, and a candlestick of the type described by the juvenile female was found in Dutcher’s bedroom. When investigating officers went to the motel where the alleged assaults occurred, staff there confirmed that the particular room number given by the juvenile female did indeed have a hot tub inside.
If convicted as charged, Dutcher faces a potential maximum penalty of imprisonment for 40 years, a maximum fine of $100,000, or both.
Online circuit court records show that on June 11, 2018, Dutcher was placed on a $100,000 cash bail bond in Sawyer County Circuit Court. Dutcher is scheduled to appear again next week.
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: Jul 06, 2018 6:53 am CDT
