Trial Proceedings on Hold for Wausau Man Facing Sexual Assault Charges

Thursday, January 18th, 2024 -- 12:01 PM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) Trial proceedings have been put on hold for a Wausau man who is facing a new set of sexual assault charges while he was on probation for an earlier offense.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, Clifford Heiser was scheduled for a one-day trial for two counts of sexually assaulting an unconscious victim on February 6th, but a new prosecutor was recently assigned to the case for the state.

That led to a request for adjournment on Tuesday, which was granted without objection. The current case against the 39-year-old is the result of an investigation into sexual assault claims that date back to late 2022.

He faces up to 40 years in prison for the charges but could receive stiffer punishment because the charges carry repeat modifiers. A guilty conviction would also cause the court to reopen a prior sexual assault case that occurred as he was working as a paramedic for the Wausau Fire Department.

In that case, he was sentenced to 3.5 years of prison time that was imposed and stayed for four years of probation. Meaning if he completed the probation, the sentence would be dropped. No new trial date has been set.

Heiser, who was being held at a state correctional facility in Stanley but now lists an address in Hatley. He returns to court on February 12th.

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