Plover man gets probation for assaulting girl

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STEVENS POINT, Wis. (AP) — A man convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting a young girl has been sentenced to probation in Portage County.

Seth Smith, 34, of Plover, pleaded no contest to three counts of fourth-degree sexual assault after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors.

A police investigation began in May 2012 after the girl, then 9, told a teacher that Smith had done bad things to her, but she couldn’t speak about them, according to a criminal complaint. The girl told investigators the assaults started when she was between 5 and 6 years old, the complaint said. She described to investigators several incidents with Smith in his Plover home, the Stevens Point Journal Media reported.

Portage County Circuit Judge John Finn sentenced Smith to two years of probation Wednesday after a plea hearing. The maximum penalty for one count of fourth-degree sexual assault is a maximum nine months in jail.

Smith was initially charged with two felony counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child and one count of repeated sexual assault of a child. Those charges were reduced in the agreement with prosecutors.