DARLINGTON — A Shullsburg man faces potentially decades in prison after a Lafayette County jury found him guilty of first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13.
In addition, the jury on January 15 found Cole A. Maddox, 25, guilty of two related felonies — exposing genitals to a child and child enticement. Maddox was convicted before Circuit Judge Jane Bucher, in a day-long trial.
The abuse occurred at the defendant’s Shullsburg apartment, when the female victim — referred to in the complaint as Victim 1 — was just 6. The crimes spanned from January 2022, until the defendant’s arrest in 2024.
“Victim 1 stated parent 1 was at work when this happened and no other people were there,’” the child told investigators, according to the complaint.
She was interviewed at the Brickhouse Child Advocacy Center in Monroe. The abuse she described to investigators and social workers was apparently frequent and included actual rape.
(The investigator) asked Victim 1 if that happened one time or more than one time and Victim 1 responded ‘a lot’,” said the complaint. “Victim 1 stated that Parent 1 was either at work or the store when these incidents occurred’.”
During those interviews she described being threatened with violence if she did not comply with games involving touching genitals that he repeatedly tried to play with her.
“If you tell someone we’ve been doing that stuff, you’re going to be grounded for a week and you’re gonna get bruised till you can’t move for a week’,” said the complaint.
Sentencing for Maddox is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. May 13 before Bucher.
The most serious count, first-degree child sexual assault, is a Class B Felony in Wisconsin and punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 60 years. Exposing himself to a child is a Class I Felony with a potential three-year sentence. The maximum penalty for child enticement is 25 years, consisting of 15 years of initial confinement and 10 years of extended supervision.
Maddox will also be required to register as a sex offender for life. According to court records, Maddox had almost no criminal history in Wisconsin prior to the current conviction, save for several traffic-related offenses, all in Lafayette County.
