Boyceville man charged with 3 felonies related to child assault, thirteen felonies all together
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — A 55-year-old Boyceville man is charged in Dunn County with three felonies related to the sexual assault of a child.
Franklin J. Bignell appeared in Dunn County Circuit Court with his attorney, Matthew Krische, before Judge Rod W. Smeltzer for a continued initial appearance on the three felonies December 29.
Judge Smeltzer set bail with a $1,000 signature bond.
The December 29 court hearing was the continuance of an adjourned initial appearance October 6.
During the October 6 hearing, Bignell told the court he was going into treatment for 45 days starting at the end of October, according to online court records.
According to the criminal complaint, the alleged victim spoke with an investigator at the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department in July of 2019 about a sexual assault case that had been investigated in 2004. The alleged victim said she was eight years old when the sexual abuse started.
In a separate case in Dunn County, Bignell is charged with one Class C felony of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, greater than 50 grams, with a modifier of a second or subsequent office; one Class D felony of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, 10 to 50 grams, with a modifier of a second or subsequent offense; one Class I felony of maintaining a drug trafficking place; and one Class I felony of possession of amphetamine/LSD/psilocybin, second offense; as well as two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In a third case, Bignell is charged with felony possession of THC (the active ingredient in marijuana), two felony counts of bail jumping and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
In a fourth case, Bignell is charged with another felony count of bail jumping.
Judge Smeltzer set a cash bail of $5,000 on April 6, 2020, in the drug case and set a cash bail of $2,500 on April 23, 2020, in the bail jumping case.
According to a news release from the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department, a Dunn County sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop in the Town of Dunn on April 2, 2020, which led to the arrest of an adult male, later identified as Bignell, and the seizure of methamphetamine.
Based on information received during the traffic stop, a search warrant was executed in the Village of Boyceville in conjunction with the West Central Drug Task Force and the Boyceville Police Department.
As a result of the search warrant, 110 grams of methamphetamine were recovered, along with “ecstasy” pills and packaging material.
Bignell is scheduled for another court appearance on the child sexual assault charges March 23. He is scheduled for court appearances on the drug charges and bail jumping January 12 and January 25.
All together, Bignell is charged with 13 felonies in Dunn County, including two Class B felonies and one Class C felony related to the sexual assault of a child.
A Class B felony, upon conviction, carries a possible penalty of up to 40 years in prison.
A Class C felony, upon conviction, carries a possible penalty of a fine of up to $100,000 and/or up to 40 years in prison.
The drug-related felonies, upon conviction, carry a possible penalty all together of over 90 years in prison.
