By Brandi Makuski

A 31-year-old Wisconsin Dells man remains behind bars after being charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13.

Forrest Goetz was arrested on the morning of March 5 from a Forest Dr. residence in Plover after a caller at the home reported a sexual assault had taken place.

When police arrived, they observed Goetz running from the residence, noting he appeared “frightened and was crying”. Another man in the home identified Goetz as the suspect in sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl who lived in the residence.

According to the criminal complaint, the girl told police she awoke at 4 AM to find Goetz lying in her bed. The girl claims Goetz assaulted her after she repeatedly objected and told him to leave the room. She was taken to St. Clare’s Hospital in Schofield for a pediatric exam later that morning.

As Goetz was placed in the back of a squad car, he told police he “did not do anything to the little girl”, claiming the family convinced the girl to make the false accusation because they owed him $50,000.

Goetz is being tried as a repeat offender after being convicted of strangulation in Marathon Co. in 2012.

He returns to court for a pre-trial conference on May 16.