Investigators suspect man drugged girl before filming himself sexually assaulting her
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JANESVILLE—Investigators suspect a town of Newark man drugged a young girl before filming himself sexually assaulting her.
The suspicion was included in a revised criminal complaint filed Wednesday against David G. Wenzel, 57, of 12455 W. Highway 81, Beloit.
The original complaint lodged 15 charges against Wenzel. The new complaint adds 12 more: repeated sexual assault of a child, three counts of second-degree sexual assault as a felony repeater and with a sentence enhancer for serious sex crimes, as well as eight counts of registered sex offender intentionally photographing a minor without consent.
Videos seized at Wenzel's town of Newark residence led to the new charges, according to a Rock County Sheriff's Office new release.
Assistant District Attorney Rich Sullivan said in court Wednesday that the sex-assault charges were added after the child victim was identified.
The videos show Wenzel engaging in sex acts with the young girl. The girl appears to be asleep in most of the video segments, and the girl's mother told investigators that the girl was always groggy after visiting Wenzel, according to the criminal complaint.
One of the videos shows the girl stirring, at which point the man in the video backs away, and the video ends, according to the complaint.
A detective quoted in the complaint said that after viewing the videos, it appears the girl was a very heavy sleeper or that she was sedated.
Sullivan mentioned the possible drugging as part of his argument in court Wednesday that Wenzel be held without bond.
Sullivan said ensuring Wenzel stays in jail would protect the community and avoid the possibility of Wenzel intimidating witnesses.
Wenzel has access to “a significant amount of money,” Sullivan said, suggesting Wenzel could post bond and be released.
If Wenzel were not held without bond, the bond amount should be upped from $5,000 to $10,000 per count, Sullivan said.
Defense attorney Joshua Klaff said Sullivan was asking for Wenzel to serve a jail sentence without being convicted.
Court Commissioner Stephen Meyer added to Wenzel's existing bond of $75,000. Meyer added $5,000 bond per new count, for a grand total of $135,000.
Wenzel was accused in the original criminal complaint, issued Monday, of committing sexual acts with a young girl starting in December 2011. The complaint also alleges Wenzel hid a video camera in his bathroom and recorded a woman he knows taking showers over a period of months.
The original charges filed against Wenzel were two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, eight counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of capturing an image of nudity without consent.
More charges might be forthcoming, depending on what is discovered on videos that have not yet been reviewed, according to the sheriff's office news release.
Wenzel is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, April 15.
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