Stevens Point News

Main Menu

  • Covid 19
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Crime
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Obits
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • E-Edition
    • Stevens Point City Times

logo

Stevens Point News

  • Covid 19
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Crime
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Obits
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • E-Edition
    • Stevens Point City Times
Top Stories
Home›Top Stories›Man Charged in Child Sexual Assault at Local Hotel

Man Charged in Child Sexual Assault at Local Hotel

By STEVENS POINT NEWS
October 7, 2015
2962
0
Share:

By Lisa Pett

A man from Fond du Lac County faced a Portage Co. judge this week on charges he molested an 11-year-old girl while staying at a local hotel.

Scott Knuuttila, 38 of Brandon, has been formally charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child under 12 during a stay at a Highway 10 East hotel in May of 2013. Knuuttila was reportedly a close friend of the victim’s father, and was taken a trip with the girl and her younger sister.

According to the criminal complaint, Fond du Lac county deputies and Stevens Point police worked cooperatively to track down Knuuttila’s whereabouts after the victim’s mother came forward.

Initially, neither the mother nor the girl knew the exact location of the hotel. Fond du Lac police used a building description from the girl, coupled with a geo-tag of Facebook messages sent between the girls’ father and Knuuttila while he was at the hotel.

Computer forensic specialists were able to determine the messages were sent from the east side of Stevens Point. The hotel in question provided a receipt proving Knuuttila stayed there May 17-18.

In an interview with police, the child said Knuuttila repeatedly touched her genitals while they shared a bed. The girl’s sister slept on a cot in the room.

Knuuttila confirmed his hotel stay with the girls to Fond du Lac deputies when interviewed, and later admitted to touching the child and to watching child pornography. A search of his cell phone revealed pornographic images primarily of prepubescent girls engaged in sexual activity.

Knuuttila is currently behind bars in Fond du Lac County, where he is being held on a $75,000 cash bond for 10 counts of possession of child pornography. His trial is scheduled to begin there on November 5.

Judge Thomas Eagon ordered a $50,000 cash bond for Knuuttila in Portage Co., where he’ll appear via video for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 19.

If convicted in Portage Co. he faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison.

TagsFeatured
Previous Article

City Times Hiring Freelance Journalists

Next Article

Municipal court meets officials’ expectations

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • Top Stories

    City Looks to Add More Parking Meters

    July 10, 2013
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • News

    Mayor Issues Statement on Snow Removal Enforcement

    April 17, 2018
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • Community NewsTop Stories

    Stevens Point Airport Renamed After Hero Fighter Pilot

    January 29, 2014
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • Community News

    Exclusive: Alderman Really After Dark Masked Vigilante

    April 1, 2014
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • Top Stories

    Secrets of the world’s most popular handbags

    October 8, 2013
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS
  • Top Stories

    The only outfit you need for this fall

    October 7, 2013
    By STEVENS POINT NEWS

High School Sports

Go to High School Sports

Free SP Newsletter

  • Sports

  • Commentary

  • SPASH names new head football coach

    By Taylor Hale
    May 4, 2022
  • Nelson’s walk-off sparks series win with three victories

    By Taylor Hale
    April 13, 2022
  • UWSP women’s basketball coach announces retirement

    By Taylor Hale
    April 9, 2022
  • Pitching dominates with pair of one-hitters as Pointers finish sweep

    By Taylor Hale
    April 5, 2022
  • SPASH trap shooting club hosts fundraiser

    By Taylor Hale
    March 16, 2022
  • Ice fishing contest Reels in $1,500 for Portage County Literacy Council

    By Taylor Hale
    March 17, 2022
  • Kemmeter Column: County celebrates year after quarantine

    By Taylor Hale
    July 12, 2021
  • Isherwood Column: Great engineering projects two

    By Taylor Hale
    July 11, 2021
  • Shoes News Graphic

    Show Column: Odd Jobs

    By Taylor Hale
    July 9, 2021
  • Looking ahead with Larry: July 2

    By Taylor Hale
    July 5, 2021

About Us


The Portage County Gazette is published every Friday by Multi Media Channels. It is locally-owned, locally-operated and locally-written. Subscriptions are $59 annually, delivered via the U.S. Postal Service.


To subscribe, go www.shopmmclocal.com/product/portage-county-gazette or call 715-258-4360

  • 2619 Post Road, Stevens Point, WI 54481
  • (715) 343-8045
  • News editor: [email protected]
Copyright © 2022 Multi Media Channels LLC.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted without the prior written consent of Multi Media Channels LLC.
×