TOWN OF SUMMIT, Wis. – Attorney General Josh Kaul and Douglas County District Attorney (DA) Mark Fruehauf announced that a Douglas County jury found Jeffrey Anthony Charles, age 64, guilty of one count of Repeated Sexual Assault of a Child, Persistent Repeater, for incidents that occurred from 2005 to 2010.
“This conviction means that there will be accountability for this heinous crime,” said AG Kaul. “Thank you to those whose dedication to getting justice in this case helped secure this verdict.”
“This case would not have been possible without the courage of the victim to come forward, to be patient as the legal process played out, and then to publicly testify about what happened. I am pleased with the verdict which was handed down by the jury, which did a wonderful job paying attention over several days to very difficult testimony,” said Douglas County DA Mark Fruehauf. “I also want to recognize the invaluable assistance offered by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, specifically Assistant Attorney General Rebecca Sommers, that helped make this prosecution possible.”
Charles served as the pastor for Neighbors to Nations church in Princeton, Minn. at the time of the assaults and parishioners often traveled to Charles’ cabin in the Town of Summit, Wis. Charles sexually assaulted a victim at his cabin in the Town of Summit, Wis. over the course of five years, starting when the victim was 3 years old and ending when they were 8 years old. Charles was previously convicted of Sexual Abuse, 3rd Degree, in the state of Iowa in 1997.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Victim services were provided by the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Douglas County DA Mark Fruehauf and assisted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The criminal complaint is available on request.
