Executive Summary
- Jordan Coyle charged with first-degree child sexual assault after DNA confirmed contact with a 6-year-old.
- The suspect, a registered sex offender, was found hiding with the child in the woods following a September Amber Alert.
- Court filings allege Coyle violated parole by residing in the same home as the victim.
- Coyle remains in custody on a $1 million cash bond pending his initial court appearance.
STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Jordan Coyle, 34, of Almond, Wisconsin, is expected to be formally charged with first-degree child sexual assault and interfering with child custody following a forensic investigation connected to a September Amber Alert. According to court records, Coyle is scheduled for an initial appearance Monday afternoon at the Portage County Circuit Court and remains in custody on a $1 million cash bond.
The criminal complaint alleges that Coyle had been residing in the same home as the 6-year-old victim, a violation of his parole conditions. Coyle is a registered sex offender convicted of a felony sexual offense involving a minor approximately 17 years ago. Authorities state that his supervision terms strictly prohibit him from cohabitating with children.
The investigation began last September when an Amber Alert was issued for the missing 6-year-old girl. After a two-day search involving multiple law enforcement agencies, authorities located Coyle and the child hiding in a wooded area. While initial concerns pointed to abduction, the Portage County District Attorney later clarified that the child had voluntarily left her home to search for Coyle, whom she referred to as “Uncle.”
According to a news release from Portage County District Attorney Cass Cousins, recent DNA analysis conducted by the Wisconsin State Crime Lab indicated that Coyle had sexual contact with the victim. “The missing persons complaint and Amber Alert has caused tremendous alarm in our community, and the further investigation has confirmed our worst fears as to what was done to this young child,” Cousins stated in the release.
It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Judicial & Investigative Outlook
The filing of first-degree child sexual assault charges marks a significant escalation from the initial missing persons investigation. The high cash bond of $1 million reflects the severity of the allegations and Coyle’s status as a repeat offender under Department of Corrections supervision. Prosecutors are likely to focus on the forensic DNA evidence and the violation of sex offender registry restrictions as central pillars of the state’s case against the defendant.
