Cornell man sentenced to six years prison in child sexual assault case
Mar. 20—CHIPPEWA FALLS — A Cornell man convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in 2018 was sentenced Monday to serve six years in prison.
Joshua F. Schofield, 41, 16903 Highway D, was found guilty by a jury in Chippewa County Court in September of repeatedly sexually assaulting a child. The jury deliberated more than three hours before reaching a verdict. By definition, repeated sexual assault is three or more incidents.
At a hearing Monday, Judge Steve Gibbs ordered the prison sentence, along with 10 years of extended supervision. Schofield also must register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
"I've thought long and hard about this case," Gibbs said. "I heard the jury literally scream at each other as they went back and forth."
According to the criminal complaint, the girl told authorities that Schofield would sexually touch her under her clothing. The girl was the daughter of Schofield's girlfriend. These assaults occurred in spring 2018 at his home in the town of Sigel.
Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell asked for 13 years in prison and three years of extended supervision, which matches what the state's pre-sentence investigation recommended. Newell said Schofield has not shown any remorse or empathy toward the victim.
"He hasn't taken any personal accountability for his actions," Newell told Gibbs.
Newell said it has been difficult for the girl to move on with her life.
"She is afraid of him; she's afraid of what he'll do to her," Newell said.
Defense attorney Robert Thorson said "incarceration is not necessary to protect the community." He called for an imposed-and-stayed sentence with some jail time. After Gibbs pronounced the sentence, Thorson said he would be immediately filing a motion to have the sentence stayed.
Prior to being sentenced, Schofield spoke to the court. He acknowledged the jury found him guilty, but he didn't apologize.
The victim submitted a written statement, which was read out loud in court. She described the stress she felt because Schofield was still a free man, walking the streets, after being convicted in September.
"No one else should have to feel the anxiety or stress, and be uncomfortable in their own skin," she wrote. "I was left feeling that my story would never be heard."
She added that when this case started, she was 11, and she is now nearly 16.
The girl's mother also pointed out that the jury reached its verdict six months and four days ago, and she was disappointed that Schofield had gotten the sentencing delayed this long. While fighting back tears, she was critical of Gibbs for not ordering Schofield to be taken into custody after he was convicted, because Schofield had made all of his prior court appearances. Gibbs later said he didn't want to have the case re-tried because of appeals, which led to some of the delays.
Dr. Harlan Heinz testified Monday that he had given Schofield an evaluation, and that Schofield was cooperative in taking the tests, and Heinz considers him to be a low risk to re-offend.
"He doesn't express himself well in writing," Heinz said. "He did not complete his GED. He's not a very well educated individual, and I think he lacks an ability academically."
Heinz said that Schofield was never sexual abused, which is an important factor in determing a future risk assessment.
"He shows no unusual sexual behavior or practices," Heinz said. "I think he's a little compulsive and a bit of a perfectionist. He, in my opinion, doesn't represent a risk. So, I think it would be a disservice to put him on the sexual registry list."
The maximum penalty for this offense was 40 years in prison, 20 years of extended supervision, and a $100,000 fine. Schofield has no prior criminal record in Wisconsin, according to online records.
