Suspect in jail on $50,000 cash bond
A New London man is accused of whipping his girlfriend with a belt, beating her repeatedly, spitting in her face and brainwashing her.
Trenton A. Swortz, 26, is charged with first-degree reckless injury, reckless endangerment with a weapon, intimidation of a victim with use of force, strangulation, aggravated battery, false imprisonment and two counts of felony bail jumping.
He faces similar felony charges in Portage County from 2021 and domestic abuse-related charges in Waupaca County from June of this year.
Swortz is in custody on a $50,000 cash bond.
On Oct. 15, New London Police Detective Sgt. Chase Schroeder met with a woman at a convenience store. She showed him bruising on her arms, then told him about her relationship with Swortz.
According to the criminal complaint, Swortz began dating the woman in June 2022.
At the time, Swortz was breaking up with his former girlfriend, who had reported him to the police for domestic abuse.
The woman told Schroeder that she posted the $2,000 cash bond Swortz needed to be released from custody on July 1.
She described what Schroeder identified as “being coached, groomed and brainwashed.”
Swortz made her watch misogynist videos, “even holding her head and forcing her to watch,” the complaint says.
She said the relationship turned violent in early August. She was walking up the stairs when Swortz allegedly hit her in the head with a walking stick and continued hitting her legs with the stick after she fell down.
She took digital photos of the bruising and sent them to a friend.
The woman had initially used the walking stick while on a nature trip with her grandchildren.
“Victim said from this incident moving forward she received some type of physical and mental abuse daily over the next three to four months,” the complaint says.
She was emotionally abused, made to feel worthless and one day, attempted suicide by swallowing pills.
“Victim said she felt as though he was already slowly killing her and she didn’t want to live through this anymore,” the complaint says. “If not for the victim’s bravery to seek help today, things could have ended much worse.”
On Oct. 11, the woman called 911 twice, but hung up, hoping police would respond to a disconnected call.
After learning that she had called 911, Swortz reportedly whipped her with a leather belt, then straddled on top of her and choked her until she blacked out.
On Oct. 14, Swortz kicked her in the stomach and on Oct. 15, he punched her in the head, grabbed her by the hair and screamed in her face, the complaint says.
The woman told Schroeder that Swortz avoided hitting her face because he was afraid that others might see the bruising and avoided hitting her feet because he likes her feet.
“Other than her face and feet, the victim was covered with bruises,” the complaint says.
Swortz faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of first-degree reckless injury and 10 years in prison if convicted of felony intimidation of a victim.
He is scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance before Judge Raymond Huber on Nov. 8.