GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – More charges have been listed for a man with a history of incidents involving sexual abuse of animals.
According to Tuesday’s jail records, 53-year-old Sterling Rachwal was arrested for three counts: burglary, mistreatment of animals causing death, and sexual gratification with an animal.
On Wednesday’s jail sheet, the number of charges jumped from three to five, with additional counts of mistreatment of animals causing death and sexual gratification with an animal.
Formal charges have not been filed.
Officers did not provide any additional details on the accusations when contacted by WTAQ, but prosecutors suspect Rachwal violated separate horses in the Town of Eaton in February and in Manitowoc County in April.
In a Brown County courtroom Wednesday, prosecutors say video surveillance and boot tracks tie him to the assaults.
Even when showed implicating visual evidence, prosecutors claim Rachwal denied involvement.
Cash bond has been set at $5,000.
Rachwal has been convicted several times across the state for incidents with animals, often horses.
Those cases include:
In 1993 in Monroe County, he was convicted of three counts, including sexual gratification with an animal and mistreatment of animals causing death. He was sentenced to an eight-year prison term.
In 1996 in Waupaca County, he was convicted of four counts, including mistreating animals – but was declared not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
In 2010 in Fond du Lac County, he was convicted of disorderly conduct and sentenced to 90 days in jail. In that incident, he was found in a horse barn.
