By Shereen Siewert

WAUSAU — A wrong-way driver accused of seventh-offense drunken driving who was out on bond for an open case of first degree sexual assault of a child younger than 13 when he was arrested will spend six years in prison, after he was sentenced this week in Marathon County Circuit Court.

The sentence for Lawrence “Larry” Jackson, 66, covers both cases.

Court documents show Jackson was arrested in April after a 911 caller reported seeing a man in a black Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible who had been drinking before falling down and hitting his head in Rib Mountain, according to court filings. A Wausau Police officer spotted the vehicle about 30 minutes later and allegedly observed the driver turn from Humboldt Avenue northbound to Fifth Street, which is a one-way southbound street. Multiple cars were headed south on Fifth Street at the time, police said.

That’s when the officer activated his lights and sirens and pulled the vehicle over. The driver, later identified as Jackson, stepped out of the vehicle, urinated in his pants, was slurring his speech badly and had a laceration on his forehead, police said. Jackson told police he had “too much” to drink, was “feeling woozy,” and requested an ambulance, which was summoned.

Police say Jackson was disoriented, telling officers he was coming from his daughter’s home — but he couldn’t remember his daughter’s last name. Jackson did not have a valid driver’s license at the time of his arrest.

Jackson was then transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where a chemical test of his blood was performed. The incident prompted charges of seventh offense operating while intoxicated, bail jumping, and operating with a revoked license. He was also cited for driving against traffic, according to the police report.

During a sentencing hearing Dec. 11, Jackson was convicted of the OWI charge along with an amended charge of second degree sexual assault of a child younger than 13. In addition to six years initial confinement, Circuit Judge Mike Moran ordered Jackson to spend eight years on extended supervision and register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

Jackson was also ordered not to have any contact with underage girls and maintain absolute sobriety.