By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review
A judge on Wednesday authorized a warrant for the arrest of a former Wausau firefighter convicted in 2019 of sexually assaulting a patient in an ambulance.
Clifford Heiser, 39, is wanted on charges of failing to maintain sex registry obligations and bail jumping after investigators discovered he allegedly violated the rules of his bond by accessing the internet and storing pornographic photos and videos on his phone.
In 2019, Heiser was convicted of two counts each of fourth degree sexual assault and misconduct in office. The misconduct charges are both felonies. An additional misconduct charge, along with a charge of third degree sexual assault, were both dismissed but read into the record for consideration at sentencing. That case was brought forward after a 29-year-old patient came forward with accusations that Heiser sexually assaulted her in the back of an ambulance. He was arrested by Wausau police after they received DNA results showing Heiser’s saliva on the woman’s breast.
Heiser was transporting the woman to a local hospital when the assault took place. The Wausau Fire Department placed Heiser on administrative leave when the investigation began, and he resigned shortly afterward. He was sentenced to a year in jail and four years on probation, and was required to register as a sex offender and remain on the registry for 15 years.
But that sentence was imposed and stayed, which means that if Heiser is not successful on supervision, he could go to prison for 3 1/2 years on the felony misconduct charge.
Then in 2022, Heiser was charge again, this time involving an alleged sexual assault of an unconscious victim. That case has not yet concluded.
The latest charges came after a woman told police Heiser had been following her on social media, which prompted an investigation into his online activity. As part of his bond, Heiser is not allowed on the internet. But officers say Heiser’s phone showed he accessed social media numerous times and had more than 42,731 photos and 938 videos on his phone, some of which showed Heiser’s face. A large number of pornographic images were also discovered, police said.
A pretrial conference is set for May 1 in the 2022 case. Heiser remains at large as of Wednesday afternoon.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
