John Schwarz appears before Manitowoc County Court via Zoom, October 13, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Former haunted house operator John Schwarz was sentenced Wednesday to five years on probation for sexually assaulting a teen who worked at his facility.
Schwarz, 38, pleaded no contest on Monday to three counts: having sexual intercourse with a child age 16 or older, fourth-degree sexual assault; and causing mental harm to a child. The other felony counts were dropped or reduced.
In addition to the probation, Schwarz was sentenced to nine months in jail, which he has already served. There are also a variety treatment and counseling requirements imposed by Judge Jerilyn Dietz.
A prosecutor read a statement from a victim in the case. He said he has become a “shell of his former self” due to the trauma of the events and coping with the ongoing court process.
“Nobody deserves to go through the amount of pain I have endured,” the victim’s statement said, while asking for prison time.
Before the sentence was issued, Schwarz declined to address the court.
Schwarz had operated Scare USA in Two Rivers. The website for it lists the attraction as closed.
During the investigation, it was determined Schwarz had sexual contact with a number of juveniles who volunteered and worked at the haunted house, dating back to 2014. An assistant district attorney previously said in court Schwarz would tell the victims no one would believe them if they reported the sexual contact.
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