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Felony rape charges filed

A 22-year-old rural New London man is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl with her mother’s permission.

Mitchell S. Bowman is charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child by threat of force, two counts of repeated sexual assault of a child, child enticement, false imprisonment, stalking and felony child abuse. A warrant was issued for his arrest on March 16.

The girl’s mother, whose name will not be published to protect the victim’s identity, has been charged with failure to protect a child, child enticement as party to a crime, and child neglect resulting in bodily harm.

On Feb. 19, Waupaca County Sheriff’s Deputy Sara Besel went to a home in Weyauwega, where she met with a girl who had turned age 15 in December.

The girl told Besel that she was in a relationship with Bowman, whom she described as very controlling.

According to the criminal complaint, the girl first made contact with Bowman through other friends via phone calls and text message. After about a week, he visited her at her home in Mukwa.

She said the two had sex the first time they met in person. She told Besel that her mother agreed to let Bowman stay the night.

According to the criminal complaint, Bowman moved into the house with the girl and her mother in early August, about two weeks after first meeting the girl. Bowman and the girl allegedly shared the same bedroom.

The girl told investigators that over time, Bowman become emotionally abusive and would not allow her to visit her friends without accompanying her.

She said Bowman drove her to and from school and tried to control what clothes she wore.

She described one incident when Bowman sent her a text message confronting her about talking to an ex-boyfriend at school. She said she had no idea how Bowman had known about the conversation and was afraid that he was watching her all the time.

The girl told Besel that Bowman had punched her in the arm during an argument, and locked her in her bedroom once when she attempted to leave the house.

The girl also said Bowman and her mother had discussed how to discipline her by taking her cellphone away or grounding her.

Bowman sent several text and Facebook messages to the girl while police were interviewing her, according to the criminal complaint.

When police interviewed the mother, she reportedly described the girl as unstable and very emotional. She accused the girl of manipulating her father’s side of the family in order to get money and attention and that she was “blowing up a molehill into a mountain,” police say.

Police say the mother told investigators that she allowed Bowman to move into the house because she felt he would be a good influence on her daughter.

When police questioned Bowman, he allegedly accused the girl of forcing him to have sex with her.

Bowman was previously convicted of battery and disorderly conduct in 2011.

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