Forum News Service
ELLSWORTH, Wis. -- A Prescott man has been charged in Pierce County Circuit Court with first-degree sexual assault of a child and incest.
Joshua Robert Gutting, 36, is scheduled to make his initial court appearance May 5.
A criminal complaint stated that Prescott police learned of the alleged sex abuse from the child’s mother in November. The woman said the 7-year-old victim told her Gutting attempted multiple sexual acts on him and another sibling.
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The mother told police she was suspicious of Gutting, based on his interaction with children over the years. She said her children had demonstrated “sexualized behavior” and noticed that the 7-year-old had been angry lately.
The woman also told officers that Gutting struck and tried to choke her in the past, and that her children witnessed the incidents.
An interview of the child by a human services employee revealed additional details about the alleged abuse.
The sexual assault charge is a Class B felony that carries a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison. The incest charge is a Class C felony with a maximum penalty of $100,000 and/or 40 years prison.
