By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review
A Merrill man already facing accusations of sexually assaulting several patients with cognitive disabilities while on the job is now charged with child trafficking, court records show.
The latest charges against Joseph Damico, 24, were filed in Lincoln County after a teen told police Damico asked them to urinate in water bottles for him in exchange for gifts. Damico allegedly told the teen he has a urine fetish, according to court records. An investigation began in November and charges of child trafficking and bail jumping were filed last month.
Lincoln County Circuit Judge Robert Russell set a $50,000 cash bond in the case for Damico, who has not yet settled the charges in Marathon County.
The Wausau case involves two counts of second-degree sexual assault by a treatment facility employee. One alleged victim is a 24-year-old man with various developmental disabilities. The accusations surfaced in May after an employee at the Sherman Street group home where Damico worked reported seeing him with a client’s genitals in his hands. Additional allegations were uncovered during a forensic interview, court records show.
The second Wausau victim is also cognitively disabled and has the mental capacity of a young child, according to court documents. Police say Damico watched the woman in the bathroom, refusdc to allow her to close the door for privacy, and touched her genitals on at least one occasion.
Future court dates have not yet been set in Lincoln County, where Damico on Jan. 30 waived his right to a preliminary hearing. In Marathon County, a motion hearing is set for next week.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
