Man Charged with Alleged Sexual Assault of Muskego Woman

A 19-year-old Wind Lake man is facing charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a 26-year-old Muskego woman.

Samuel J. French was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Friday with one count of second degree sexual assault and one count of strangulation and suffocation. If convicted, he faces up to 46 years in prison and $110,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint, on June 9, the victim was driving her vehicle with the defendant when he became upset about a relationship she was in and asked her to drive to the Engel Conservancy so they could talk. When the woman refused, he then grabbed control of the steering wheel and cupped her neck, forcing her to drive to the conservancy.

After parking in a secluded area of the parking lot, the complaint alleges French then threatened to kill the woman’s dog and hire a man from Fort Atkinson to kill her father unless she dated him. He then strangled her and forced sex on her in the car.

After the assault, French told the victim she needed to tell her boyfriend she was leaving him and warned her to not go to the police because he would only get a “maximum of 10 years” for an assault or rape charge.

A warrant with $30,000 cash bail was issued for French Friday.