MERRILL — A 65-year-old Merrill man is being held on a $50,000 cash bond in connection with an ongoing investigation into the sexual assault of a child.
Mark Welch is expected to face formal charges in Lincoln County Circuit Court on Feb. 12, according to a Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department news release. Welch has a prior 1997 felony conviction for third degree sexual assault, according to online court records. Two charges of sexually assaulting a child were dismissed as part of a plea agreement in the 1997 case.
No additional details about Welch’s arrest or the accusations against him were immediately available. Official charges have not yet been filed.
