By Brandi Makuski

A Stevens Point man has been charged with sexually assaulting a young male family member.

Jeremy Ostrowski, 20, was charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 12 after Stevens Point police interviewed the victim at his school in May. The boy reportedly broke down in tears at home a few days prior, and was encouraged to come forward by his friends.

According to the complaint, the boy previously told his mother he watched pornographic videos with Ostrowski when he was seven years old. The mother informed the suspect’s father — Ostrowski was 15 at the time — so he could address the issue.

In April of 2017, the boy reported to his mother that he’d been forced into a sex act with Ostrowski, the complaint said.

When interviewed by police, Ostrowski said he initially thought he was being questioned because of a false accusation that he’d forced the boy into watching pornography. He claims the boy “walked in on him” while he was watching pornography in his bedroom, the complaint said.

“[Ostrowski] eventually stated that if it did happen, it just happened,” the complaint said. “He stated if anything happened it could have been because of the [pornographic] video.”

If convicted, he faces up to 60 years in prison.

Ostrowski is free on a $10,000 signature bond and has waived his preliminary hearing, according to court records. His next court date has not yet been scheduled.