By Shereen Siewert
WAUSAU — A former Wausau man who police say played “strip” card games with two preteens was convicted Friday of two child sex charges in connection with the case.
As part of a plea agreement, 52-year-old Douglas Thew now stands convicted of repeated sexual assault of the same child and of child enticement. Additional charges of soliciting a child for prostitution, causing a child younger than 13 to view or listen to a sex act and incest were dismissed but read in, according to court records.
“Dismissed and read in” means that the charges are dismissed, but the judge can consider the conduct underlying those charges during sentencing in this and any future cases filed against the suspect.
Accusations against Thew first surfaced in June 2016, when one of the alleged victims told police she and another girl had played a card game similar to “War” with Thew on multiple occasions while Thew was babysitting them. The game involved removing pieces of clothing, court records show. Thew also asked the girls to pose naked for him, according to the criminal complaint.
The victims were age 10 and 12 in 2011, when the assaults occurred, according to court documents.
Thew was living in Wonewoc when he was arrested in June 2017 but the assaults happened while Thew lived in Wausau, police said.
During a plea hearing Friday, Marathon County Circuit Judge Greg Huber ordered a presentencing investigation be completed prior to sentencing Thew on April 27.
Thew remains jailed on a $50,000 cash bond.
