Austin man charged with sexual assault; Alleged victim was underage
Published 8:23 am Thursday, November 1, 2018
Ethan Greeley Dulitz, 20, of Austin was charged on Wednesday in Mower County District court with felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct-force or coercion and two counts of felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct-victim 13-15 and actor more than 24 months older.
According to the court complaint, an Austin police officer met with a 15-year-old girl and her mother on Monday at the Mower County Law Enforcement Center. The girl reported that Dulitz had sexually assaulted her in August, when she was 14. She reported that she resisted and told him to stop, but he continued, telling her not to tell anyone afterwards. She also said Dulitz had sex with another 14-year-old girl.
The officer then went to Dulitz’s residence in the 700 block of 11th Avenue Southwest and found other officers already present, the complaint states. Police had responded to a call at the residence after Logan Robert Branstad, 19, of Austin, who knew the victim, had come to the residence and allegedly assaulted Dulitz, punching him several times after Dulitz attempted to lock himself in a bathroom at the residence. Dulitz did not deny having sex with the victim and knew she was 14, saying it was consensual and “it just happened.”
The complaint states Dulitz also admitted to having sex with the other 14-year-old, saying he had picked her up after she left her house on night without her parents’ knowledge, though he said he did not know her age.
Branstad also appeared in Mower County Court on Wednesday on charges of felony first-degree burglary-assault person in building/on property, felony first-degree burglary-occupied dwelling and three counts of misdemeanor domestic assault.
Dulitz and Branstad will appear in court again on Nov. 8.