By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review
Trial dates have been set for a 42-year-old man accused of molesting a young boy over a two-year span.
Matthew Gerstenlauer, of Spencer, was charged in October 2020 with repeated sexual assault of the same child. The alleged abuse began when the child was 9 years old and happened starting in 2013, police said.
Police say the boy disclosed the alleged abuse to a social worker, who reported the accusations to police. According to a criminal complaint obtained by Wausau Pilot & Review, the alleged assaults happened at Gerstenlauer’s trailer in Spencer.
Gerstenlauer was summoned into court in November 2020 for an initial appearance and was released on a signature bond. He denies the charges and pleaded not guilty, according to online court records. He was bound over for arraignment and trial during a preliminary hearing in March 2021, and the case has been pending since.
During a pretrial conference last month, a jury trial was entered into the court calendar for three days beginning April 16.
Gerstenlauer remains free on bond. A conference is set for Jan. 18.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
