By Shereen Siewert
WAUSAU — A 37-year-old Wausau man accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl on multiple occasions was ordered to stand trial, after a judge on Monday found probable cause for the case to move forward.
Randall Ivey faces charges filed Oct. 31 in Marathon County Circuit Court of first degree child sex assault involving sexual contact with a person younger than 13. A preliminary hearing had been set for November, but was delayed several times. The hearing was held Monday, Feb. 4, with Circuit Judge Greg Huber presiding.
According to the criminal complaint, police launched an investigation in July when a Wausau woman reported that her daughter had been sexually assaulted. The girl told police she began talking with Ivy through Snapchat in early January and the two soon began communicating several times each day. Snapchat, a social media app popular with teens, allows users to capture videos and pictures that self destruct after a few seconds.
About two weeks after the two first communicated, Ivey allegedly sexually assaulted the girl at her home while the girl’s parents were away fishing, police said. A second alleged assault happened months later.
Ivey has a prior criminal history that includes convictions for cocaine trafficking, multiple OWIs, battery and bail jumping, according to online court records.
During an initial appearance in October, Ivey was ordered held on a $5,000 cash bond. He did not have a court-appointed attorney until early January.
Ivey, who remains in the Marathon County jail, faces up to 60 years in the Wisconsin Prison System if he is convicted on the charge. An arraignment is set for Feb. 15.
