Austin man charged with sexual assault

Published 10:37 am Tuesday, July 8, 2008

A 29-year-old Austin man has been charged with sexually assaulting an underage girl, who said the abuse occurred “a lot” over a period of two years.

Daniel Joseph Schwering has been charged with six counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. The maximum penalty is 25 years or $35,000 in fines.

The abuse was discovered July 4, according to the criminal complaint. In police interviews with the defendant, he allegedly admitted to touching the victim’s private parts between 10 and 20 times since July 2006.

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The girl said the abuse began when while she was in kindergarten.

Bail was set at $100,000 or $25,000 with conditions, which include weekly check ins, no use of drugs or alcohol and random chemical testing. The defendant must also honor any orders for protection or harassment restraining orders.

His next court date is July 17.

Many of the details of the complaint have been suppressed to protect the victim’s identity.