In a child sexual assault case, a 70-year-old Owen man was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences in the Wisconsin State Prison system, with no possibility of parole or extended supervision.
Joseph Pierce Sr. was convicted by a jury in August.
NewsChannel 7 will not reveal any identifying information about the victims or the circumstances of the assaults in order to honor their bravery in coming forward and safeguard their identities in the future.
Clark County Judge Daniel Diehn handed out the punishment on Thursday.
Clark County District Attorney Melissa Inlow, who tried the case for the State alongside Assistant Attorney General James Krause, said she is pleased with the sentence, noting that the defendant’s vile behavior and history of similar conduct demonstrate that permanent confinement is the only way to protect the public.
According to Inlow, Pierce Sr. would not have been held accountable for his horrible actions if the four young victims who spoke at trial had not been courageous.
He was already a lifelong registrant on the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry, having been convicted in Waupaca County in 1991.