By Shereen Siewert

WAUSAU — Opening arguments are underway in the jury trial of a 48-year-old man accused of giving a 14-year-old girl cocaine and sexually assauling her on multiple occasions in two different counties.

Peter C. Buntrock, a former Weston resident who now lists a Brantwood address, faces four counts of second degree sexual assault of a child, two counts of exposing genitals to a child, and single charges of using a computer to facilitate a sex crime, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of child pornography and exposing a child to harmful material. The charges were filed in two separate cases in May 2016 and in July 2016 in Marathon County Circuit Court.

Fourteen jurors, including two alternates, were chosen this morning. Circuit Judge Greg Strasser is hearing the case, which is expected to stretch through Thursday. Buntrock faced similar charges in Lincoln County until those charges were transferred to Marathon County.

The alleged victim is a relative of Buntrock, but the two had not met until April 2016, when the relationship appears to have begun, according to court filings. The alleged victim’s mother discovered sexually explicit text messages between her daughter and Buntrock, took screen shots of the messages and turned them over to police.

Buntrock is accused of sexually assaulting the teen multiple times, using both cocaine and marijuana with her.

When police searched Buntrock’s home, they discovered small amounts of cocaine and marijuana, along with nude photos of the girl that were stored on his phone, court documents state.

Months after his arrest, Buntrock reportedly wrote several letters making threats to the victim in the sexual assault case and the victim’s family members, resulting in additional charges in Lincoln County. As a result of those letters, Buntrock’s bond amount was increased from $50,000 cash to $100,000 cash. Two counts of attempting to intimidate a victim were dismissed when the case was transferred to Marathon County.

Buntrock, who was a principal in the former Metro Cab Company in Wausau, has a criminal record for negligent operation of a motor vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia and three drunken driving convictions, court records show.

He faces