Ga. man accused of NWSF sexual assault enters not guilty plea

Chris Vetter, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read
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Jan. 12—CHIPPEWA FALLS — The 62-year-old carnival worker accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a vehicle after they left the Northern Wisconsin State Fair grounds in July has entered a not guilty plea.

Craig D. McPherson, who has a Georgia address and family in Illinois, was charged in July in Chippewa County Court with sexual assault of a child under the age of 16 and second-degree sexual assault. Both charges carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, 15 years of extended supervision, and a $100,000 fine.

McPherson appeared via video from the Chippewa County Jail, where he entered the not guilty plea. Judge Ben Lane requested the attorneys meet to set dates for a trial.

McPherson had previously been successful in getting his $50,000 cash bond lowered, but not as much as he hoped. Defense attorney Fran Rivard had requested it be dropped to $5,000, but Lane lowered it to $20,000. However, McPherson has so far not posted that level, and he remains incarcerated. If he were to post bond, he cannot have any contact with the victim or any juvenile females. The district attorney's office had requested the high cash bond because McPherson has no ties to Wisconsin and was set to leave the area with the carnival.

According to the criminal complaint and police reports, the 14-year-old girl, and the girl's 22-year-old sister, left the fairgrounds together July 16 and drove to the Kwik Trip on the city's East Hill to purchase alcohol. While the 22-year-old woman was in the store, McPherson is accused of climbing into the back seat of the vehicle and having sexual intercourse with the 14-year-old girl.

When police interviewed McPherson, he initially denied all events, including going into the back of the vehicle. However, video surveillance at the gas station showed he got in the back seat. In a subsequent interview, "McPherson admitted to engaging in sexual activity with (the victim) but stated that (she) lied about her age."

The incident happened at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 16, and the girl reported the sexual assault about three hours later. The sisters are from a city near Chippewa Falls, and did not know McPherson before the fair began.

McPherson has criminal history in six different states, including an active warrant from Ohio in 2003 that was non-extraditable. His prior criminal record includes an aggravated arson conviction in 1988 and a rape charge from 1999, Chippewa County assistant district attorney Scott Zehr said.