Two people charged after suspected trafficking and sexual assault of young girl in Fond du Lac

FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — Charges have been filed against two people following an alleged sexual assault of a minor in Fond du Lac earlier this month.

Juan Carlos Rocha Meija is charged with one count of first-degree sexual assault of a child, one count of child enticement, one count of false imprisonment and one count of strangulation and suffocation.

Elia Antonio is charged with child trafficking, failure to protect a child and two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping. Prosecutors say she is the victim's mother and Meija's girlfriend.

According to the complaint against Meija, the incident took place on May 18, 2024 in the town of Oakfield in Fond Du Lac County.

The complaint says Meija attempted to blindfold the victim and restrain her with duct tape in a van. The victim told investigators she tried to push him away and then he touched her inappropriately, according to the complaint. She also told police he tried to rape her and make her pass out by using a shirt to cover her nose and mouth before she could escape.

Police say she alerted the owner of a home in the area who helped her get to safety.

According to a press release, both defendants made their first court appearance on Wednesday. Cash bail was set at $1 million for each defendant. Investigators say Meija and Antonio are in the United States illegally and ICE detainers have been placed on both.

Both defendants are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 7, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.