A Rice Lake man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old child. Jonathan T. Scheel, 36, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of second-degree sexual assault of a child and was sentenced on Friday.
According to court records, Scheel was charged with multiple counts of sex crimes against the same victim, including causing a child younger than 13 to view/listen to a sex act. However, the exact details of these charges are not specified in available reports.
Scheel's guilty plea was to an amended felony count of second-degree sexual assault of a child, a Class C felony. A previous charge of repeated sexual assault of the same child (at least three violations of first-degree sexual assault) was dismissed but read into the record.
The sentencing comes after Scheel pleaded not guilty in July 2025 and was subsequently convicted. The exact circumstances surrounding the sex crimes are unclear due to limited information available.
Scheel will be required to register as a sex offender for life, according to court records.