On Friday, a Jackson County jury convicted 53-year-old Paul A. Sylvester, of Black River Falls, on six felony charges, including second-degree sexual assault, kidnapping, and theft. Prosecutors say in May of 2024, Sylvester entered the vehicle of a woman in a Sparta parking lot, assaulted her, and drove her into the Jackson County Forest where he sexually assaulted her and left her stranded. The victim—badly injured and without her phone or glasses—was discovered the next morning by a passerby. She told investigators she feared Sylvester intended to kill her. Evidence presented at trial showed Sylvester broke her phone and glasses, used her own pepper spray against her, and later admitted during the assault that he was “going to prison.” The jury returned the guilty verdicts after a three-day trial. Bond was revoked, and Sylvester was taken into custody. Sentencing is scheduled for August 8th.
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