By Shereen Siewert
More than three years after a Portage County man failed to appear in court for a scheduled appearance on child sex charges, police discovered him living in a makeshift dwelling along the Ice Age Trail in Ringle.
Jeremy Button, 44, faces charges in Portage County Circuit Court of charges of first degree sexual assault of a child, repeated sexual assault of the same child, possession of child pornography and incest, police said. He has been on the run since April 2016.
Officials, acting on a tip, located Button Friday morning and took him into custody.
During a news conference Friday Portage County Sheriff Mike Lukas said Button was living off the grid, using a bike to generate power and a makeshift septic system. Camouflage shielded the structure from view.
The Portage County Sheriff’s Department issued a news release in May 2017 asking for the public’s help locating Button, who was at the top of their most wanted list since his disappearance.
Button is due in court Monday for a court appearance.
