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Fond du Lac child trafficking arrest
A man was taken into custody for the alleged sexual assault of a child, false imprisonment and more.
FOND DU LAC COUNTY, Wis. - A man has been taken into custody for alleged sexual assault of a child, false imprisonment and more, in Fond du Lac County.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office said shortly after midnight on Sunday, May 19, deputies were dispatched to a residence in Oakfield for a sexual assault complaint.
The caller said a 12-year-old female had shown up at his door seeking help. She said she had just fled from a vehicle in the area where an adult male had bound and blindfolded her and was attempting to assault her.
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The sheriff’s office said she was able to fight back, escape and run to the house for help.
"It’s a disturbing crime," Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt said. "She’s a brave young lady. "Thankfully she was able to fight like heck and did what she needed to do to get away."
Detectives were able to determine the identity and location of the suspect, a 30 or 31-year-old Nicaraguan man. Officials said his legal identity has yet to be determined based on multiple aliases. They said he entered the United States illegally from Mexico into Texas in October 2021.
The sheriff’s office SWAT team, with the assistance of the Fond du Lac Police Department SWAT team, executed a search warrant at a residence on Marquette Street in Fond du Lac on Monday evening, May 20. During the SWAT operation, the suspect was taken into custody without incident.
Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt
Officials said the investigation is "complex" and involves numerous serious potential crimes including sexual assault of a child, false imprisonment, child human trafficking and failure to protect a child.
It is alleged that the suspect paid the victim’s mother, who he knew, in exchange for spending time alone with the victim.
"The male paid money and then in return was provided this child for time alone," Waldschmidt said.
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Detectives are still working to determine the immigration status of the victim’s mother. She was also arrested for numerous crimes related to the incident, and both are currently in custody in the Fond du Lac County Jail.
Officials said the juvenile victim and her siblings have safely been taken into protective custody by the Fond du Lac County Human Services.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office said further details will be released when suspects are criminally charged.