By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review
A plea deal is in the works for a Spencer man accused of molesting a young boy repeatedly over a two-year span.
Matthew Gerstenlauer, 41, is facing charges of repeated sexual assault of the same child, a B felony that carries a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison. Charges were filed in October 2020 in Marathon County Circuit Court. Police say the alleged victim was 9 years old when the alleged assaults, which continued until he was 11, began.
Police say the boy disclosed the alleged abuse to a social worker, who reported the accusations to police. The alleged assaults happened at Gerstenlauer’s trailer in Spencer.
Gerstenlauer appeared in court in November 2020 to face the charge s and was released on a signature bond. On Tuesday, Feb. 12, Gerstenlauer’s attorney said a plea agreement has been reached, though jury trial dates in April remain on the calendar for now.
A plea hearing is set for April 4 in Wausau. Terms of the proposed agreement have not been disclosed.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
