By Shereen Siewert
A 30-year-old Marathon man is facing an array of felony charges after a now 18-year-old girl told police he repeatedly sexually assaulted her at a Wausau apartment.
Logan Neu was already facing sexual assault charges filed in August after a Wausau Pilot and Review Crime Gallery photo with Neu’s mugshot prompted a victim to come forward and report that she, too, had been assaulted by the man, according to police.
Logan Neu appeared Thursday, Dec. 5 in Marathon County Circuit Court on charges of first degree sexual assault of a child younger than the age of 16, repeated sexual assault, and strangulation/suffocation. During an initial appearance, Circuit Judge Greg Huber ordered Neu held on a $150,000 cash bond.
In the latest case, the alleged victim, who uses a wheelchair, told police Neu repeatedly sexually assaulted her, holding her legs down to prevent muscle spasms while the abuse took place. He is also accused of placing his hand around her throat and strangling the alleged victim, leading her to believe she was about to die.
Neu allegedly told the girl he would “get out of prison and kill her” if she told anyone about the abuse.
In the August case, charges of child enticement, exposing a pubic area and other related charges were filed when a relative contacted police after seeing Neu’s photo in the April 25 Wausau Pilot and Review crime gallery. At that time, Neu already faced felony charges filed April 19 of repeated sexual assault of the same child with at least three violations of first or second degree sexual assault, second degree sexual assault of a child, two counts of incest and four counts of exposing genitals/pubic area/intimate parts to a child.
The photo prompted the woman to question her 9-year-old daughter about her own interactions with Neu. The girl, who was later interviewed by social workers, confided that Neu allegedly assaulted her on several occasions and described the alleged assaults in detail.
The girl’s mother confirmed that her daughter had been visiting Neu at the time the assaults allegedly occurred.
Neu has multiple prior convictions for sexual assault and is a registered sex offender. In 2010 he was given a withheld sentence on child sex assault charges and was ordered to spend five years on probation, according to court records. But his probation was revoked in 2012, resulting in a 20-month prison sentence.
Court records show Neu is also known by several aliases including Theodore Merritt, Luke Merrit, Luke Neu, Mullett Merritt, Rabbit Merrit, Rabbit Neu, Red Merritt and Red Neu. In 2009 he was convicted of violating sex offender registry rules by changing his name and was subsequently sentenced to 15 months in jail.
Neu is being charged as a persistent repeater because he was previously convicted of a serious child sex offense.
A preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 20.
