James Begay
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A Wausau man with a history of sex-related offenses is still waiting for a public defender as he faces new counts for sexual assault of a child and burglary.
James Begay is accused of breaking into a girl’s room through a window and then punching her as she was sleeping. The victim says he put his hands down her pants, making her think that she would be raped.
The 35-year-old appeared in court on Tuesday, where officials noted that they have made more than 2,000 calls for a public defender, but have yet to find anyone willing to take the case. Begay, who has no listed address, once again insisted on having a court-appointed attorney.
Begay has multiple convictions on his record including a 2010 count for third-degree sexual assault. He was also found guilty of possession of methamphetamine in early 2023 and handed a withheld prison sentence, meaning he was on probation at the time of his most recent arrest.
He has also removed his GPS monitor multiple times while on supervision, most recently in 2019.
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Judge Scott Corbett also waived the time limits for a preliminary hearing and scheduled the case for a review hearing on May 7th.
Begay faces more than 55 years in prison if found guilty. Charges against him carry repeat modifiers which could also increase his sentence.
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