MONROE - A Monroe man faces charges filed Tuesday in Green County Circuit Court that he sexually assaulted a teen girl in May.
Turner J. Beernink, 19, is charged with four felonies: second-degree sexual assault of a child, enticing a child into sexual contact and two counts of exposing genitalia to a child.
If convicted on all counts, he could face a
43-year prison sentence, $220,000 in fines, or both.
According to police reports, the girl told a guidance counselor at her school that she had unprotected sex with a man she knows as "Turner" May 22 or 23, and that she knew he would soon turn 19.
In an interview the week after the alleged assault, the girl told investigators she and Beernink arranged on Facebook to meet May 22 at a Monroe apartment he was staying in. She said she and Beernink met on the social network in early April and started dating one or two days later.
She said Beernink was the only other person at the residence while she was there.
Beernink told her to keep the incident a secret and asked her if she was feeling OK, because "he didn't want her pregnant," according to the court records.
An administrator at the girl's school shared with police a screenshot from a smartphone app that reportedly showed a message sent to her saying, "(You) need to keep (your) mouth shut."
Police interviewed a man May 29 who lives at the residence where the alleged sexual assault occurred and is friends with Beernink. When they asked him if he knew why he was asked to come to the police station for an interview, he said, "because my friend had sex with a (teen girl)," police records indicate.
The friend reportedly told police he did not stay at his apartment the night of May 22, but Beernink did. He said he and Beernink were at a gathering but Beernink wanted to return to the friend's apartment and asked for the keys, which the friend handed over.
According to court records, the friend said Beernink told him May 24 or 25 he recently had sex with a minor. Afterwards, the friend wrote in a sworn statement, "Turner got worried and was very frightened. He knew he was in trouble. He said he would turn himself in."
Police spoke to Beernink by phone May 29. He reportedly said he would come to the police station to be interviewed June 1. When he didn't show up, police wrote in their report, they requested the case be forwarded to the Green County District Attorney for a warrant.
Beernink is likely not in Green County, Monroe Police Department Chief Fred Kelley said Tuesday, but may be as close as one or two counties away.
Kelley said the warrant for Beernink's arrest, also filed Tuesday, will be entered into a national database in case he leaves Wisconsin.
Online court records show Beernink was found guilty of malicious destruction of property in May and an underage alcohol violation in August.
Turner J. Beernink, 19, is charged with four felonies: second-degree sexual assault of a child, enticing a child into sexual contact and two counts of exposing genitalia to a child.
If convicted on all counts, he could face a
43-year prison sentence, $220,000 in fines, or both.
According to police reports, the girl told a guidance counselor at her school that she had unprotected sex with a man she knows as "Turner" May 22 or 23, and that she knew he would soon turn 19.
In an interview the week after the alleged assault, the girl told investigators she and Beernink arranged on Facebook to meet May 22 at a Monroe apartment he was staying in. She said she and Beernink met on the social network in early April and started dating one or two days later.
She said Beernink was the only other person at the residence while she was there.
Beernink told her to keep the incident a secret and asked her if she was feeling OK, because "he didn't want her pregnant," according to the court records.
An administrator at the girl's school shared with police a screenshot from a smartphone app that reportedly showed a message sent to her saying, "(You) need to keep (your) mouth shut."
Police interviewed a man May 29 who lives at the residence where the alleged sexual assault occurred and is friends with Beernink. When they asked him if he knew why he was asked to come to the police station for an interview, he said, "because my friend had sex with a (teen girl)," police records indicate.
The friend reportedly told police he did not stay at his apartment the night of May 22, but Beernink did. He said he and Beernink were at a gathering but Beernink wanted to return to the friend's apartment and asked for the keys, which the friend handed over.
According to court records, the friend said Beernink told him May 24 or 25 he recently had sex with a minor. Afterwards, the friend wrote in a sworn statement, "Turner got worried and was very frightened. He knew he was in trouble. He said he would turn himself in."
Police spoke to Beernink by phone May 29. He reportedly said he would come to the police station to be interviewed June 1. When he didn't show up, police wrote in their report, they requested the case be forwarded to the Green County District Attorney for a warrant.
Beernink is likely not in Green County, Monroe Police Department Chief Fred Kelley said Tuesday, but may be as close as one or two counties away.
Kelley said the warrant for Beernink's arrest, also filed Tuesday, will be entered into a national database in case he leaves Wisconsin.
Online court records show Beernink was found guilty of malicious destruction of property in May and an underage alcohol violation in August.