Scare USA owner charged with sex assault of child: Takeaways from the criminal complaint in Manitowoc County court
MANITOWOC — John S. Schwarz Jr., owner of Scare USA in Two Rivers, is facing charges of repeated sexual assault of a child after an alleged victim filed a complaint with the Two Rivers Police Department.
The Herald Times Reporter obtained a copy of the criminal complaint in the case against Schwarz. Here are key takeaways from the complaint.
John Schwarz's arrest: Two Rivers haunted house Scare USA closes after owner arrested on suspicion of child sexual assault
The alleged victim said they were 'groomed' by Schwarz.
According to the criminal complaint, the alleged victim told police Schwarz, 37, assaulted them repeatedly as they volunteered at Scare USA as a teen beginning in 2016.
The complaint states: "(Victim) was very fearful of losing the good relationships that (they) had at the haunted house. (Victim) expressed that (they) felt John 'groomed them' from the beginning because he knew about (victim's) troubled home life and took advantage of that trust. (Victim) stated that John was overly nice and protective which is something (they) directly lacked from (their) family."
They said they began volunteering to escape a "troubled, unstable home life," and their relationship with Schwarz was "appropriate" at first.
However, Schwarz began inviting them to work on projects with him and then he would touch their private parts while they were alone in the haunted house.
Schwarz then began inviting them over to his house for sleepovers, according to the complaint. The alleged victim would go to hang out with Schwarz's son, but at night Schwarz would have them sleep in his own bed while Schwarz slept on the floor in the same room.
The alleged victim said they would wake up and Schwarz would be pressing his body against theirs. They said this happened on at least three different occasions.
The complaint includes descriptions of two specific events, which both occurred when the alleged victim was 16 years old.
On the first occasion, the alleged victim said Schwarz took them into a room that was used for the haunted house attraction and pulled down his pants, exposing his genitals. He then attempted to get the alleged victim to take off their pants, but was unsuccessful.
The second event also occurred at Scare USA and ended with Schwarz having non-consensual sex with the alleged victim and ejaculated on their chest.
Schwarz told the alleged victim 'you won't win,' according to the complaint.
According to the criminal complaint, the alleged victim repeatedly told Schwarz to stop but said Schwarz would often respond "no means yes with you" and "if you tell anyone, you won't win."
The alleged victim told police they felt they couldn't report Schwarz because he often talked about having a good relationship with law enforcement.
The alleged victim also said they were worried about losing the support system and family-like culture he had cultivated with the other volunteers at Scare USA.
The complaint also documents a decline in the alleged victim's mental health that the alleged victim said related directly to the sexual assault they experienced by Schwarz.
One felony charge has been filed against Schwarz.
Schwarz was arrested Oct. 12 and is being held at Manitowoc County Jail on a $50,000 cash bond.
Oct. 17, one charge of repeated sexual assault of the same child was filed against Schwarz. The charge is a Class C felony.
If convicted, Schwarz could face up to 40 years in state prison and up to $100,000 in fines.
Schwarz is expected to appear in court Oct. 30 for an initial appearance.
Fulfilling our obligation: This report is part of the Herald Times Reporter's mission to follow criminal cases from arrest to their conclusion.
Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc. She can be reached by email at aschafer@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Two Rivers Scare USA owner charged with repeated sex assault of child
