By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — A 37-year-old River Falls man will make an initial appearance in Dunn County Circuit Court later this month on one felony count related to the alleged sexual assault of a child in Boyceville.
Derek P. Johnson will appear before Judge James Peterson on November 30 at 10:20 a.m.
The charge of first degree child sexual assault, having intercourse with a person under the age of 12, includes a modifier of being a repeat offender.
According to the criminal complaint, the alleged sexual assault took place in the Village of Boyceville three or four years ago when the alleged victim was eight or nine years old.
During a forensic interview with a Dunn County social worker, when asked to tell the social worker about Johnson and what had happened, the girl brought her knees to her chest and began crying.
Boyceville Police Chief Greg Lamkin, who received a report several months ago about the sexual assault of a child three or four years ago in Boyceville, observed the interview remotely.
Police Chief Lamkin said he viewed the girl’s act of bringing her knees to her chest “as a protective posture.”
When the social worker asked the girl if Johnson had said anything to her, the girl said he had told her that if she told anyone, he would do the same thing to her younger sister, who was two or three years old at the time.
According to the criminal complaint, this summer, the girl told her mother about what had happened. The girl’s mother told her that they should report it to the police, but the girl did not want to report it.
Later on, the girl asked what would happen if they went to the police, and girl’s mother said the girl would have to talk about what had happened and give details.
The girl’s mother said the girl had changed her mind a few times over the summer before they finally reported the incident to the police.
When Police Chief Lamkin asked the girl’s mother if the girl had given her more details, the mother said that several days ago, the girl had referred to it as a rape but had not given more details, according to the complaint.
The first degree sexual assault of a child is a Class B felony that, upon conviction, carries a possible penalty of up to 60 years in prison.
The repeat offender modifier can increase the prison time by two years for a misdemeanor and six years for a felony.
According to the complaint, Johnson has been convicted of felony possession of methamphetamine.
