Trial scheduled for Colfax man accused of child assault

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE  —  A Dunn County judge has scheduled a December trial for a 24-year-old Colfax man being held on $25,000 cash bail and charged with four felony counts related to the sexual assault of a child.

Jesse D. Thoms appeared in Dunn County Circuit Court before Judge James Peterson August 2, along with Thoms’ attorney, Francis Rivard.

Thoms is charged with one felony count each of first degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13, repeated sexual assault of the same child and two felony counts of exposing genitals to a child.

According to the criminal complaint, the assaults occurred between May and December of 2015.

At the time of the alleged assaults, the two boys were ten and six years old.

At the August 2 court hearing, Rivard told the court he did not believe the case will be resolved.

Rivard also said he was still in the process of reviewing all of the evidence in the case and requested 20 days to file motions with the court.

During an interview at the Child Advocacy Center, the ten-year-old said Thoms had taken him fishing, and upon their return, had allowed the boy to sit on his lap and steer Thoms’ vehicle with Thoms controlled the brakes and gas. The boy said while he was steering the vehicle, Thoms had touched him inappropriately, according to the complaint.

The ten-year-old also said the defendant had sexual contact with him a number of times in the defendant’s bedroom and that Thoms had shown the boy pictures of naked women that Thoms had on his cell phone.

When the six-year-old boy was interviewed, he said that Thoms had done something he was not supposed to do, but that he could not remember what had happened, according to the complaint.

In 2014, Thoms pleaded no contest and was found guilty of burglarizing a property owned by state Representative Tom Larson of Colfax and his wife, Mary.

Richard Lipina, 24, of Colfax also was  charged with one felony count of burglary in connection with the same incident at the Larson property.

First degree child sexual assault and repeated sexual assault of the same child are Class B felonies that, if convicted, carry a possible penalty of up to 60 years in prison on each count.

Because of his other convictions in Dunn County for the misdemeanors related to bail jumping, attempted theft and theft, as a repeat offender, Thoms could face additional time in prison of up to two years.

A final pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Thoms on November 28.

Thoms remains in custody on a $25,000 cash bail Judge Peterson set on May 9.