Spencer man pleads not guilty to child sexual abuse

CHIPPEWA FALLS – A former Lake Hallie man previously convicted of sexual assault has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in her home in April.

Curtis C. Vaughan, 33, of Spencer, is charged in Chippewa County Court with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a child under the age of 13. At the time of the alleged offense, Vaughan lived on S. Joles Parkway in Lake Hallie.

Vaughan appeared in Chippewa County court last week, where he waived a preliminary hearing and pleaded not guilty to both counts.

Judge Steve Gibbs has scheduled the arraignment for October 15. No trial dates have been set yet.

Vaughan remains free on bail. The district attorney had previously requested bail of $2,000 cash, but Judge Steve Gibbs set bail at a signature only.

According to the indictment, an 11-year-old girl told authorities she was sexually assaulted at a residence in the village of Lake Hallie. She said Vaughan came into the bathroom while she was showering and touched her in a sexual manner.

As a condition of his release, Vaughan is prohibited from having contact with the victim or her residence and from having unsupervised contact with underage females. According to court records, he moved from Lake Hallie to Spencer in June.

According to court records, Vaughan was convicted of fourth-degree sexual assault in Marathon District Court in 2008 and sentenced to two years' probation. He was living in Spencer at the time. In 2019, he was also convicted of disturbing the peace; a charge of assault and domestic violence was read and dismissed.