Thursday, November 01, 2007

Psychiatrist Accused Of Assaulting Boy

More on this troubling case from TMJ TV Channel 4 in Milwaukee

He went in for counseling, but a boy claims a psychiatrist sexually assaulted him instead. The boy says it happened a few years ago in Brookfield.

The suspect is Eric B. Schwietering. He worked at the Cornerstone Counseling Center.

Schwietering remains in custody at the Waukesha County jail on a $50,000 cash bail. This isn't the first time he's been charged with a crime involving children.

Back in May, he pleaded guilty and went to jail for possessing child pornography. This time, the charges are even more shocking: he's accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy.

Even more disturbing, the boy, who is now 14 and living in Iowa, says the assault happened at Cornerstone Counseling Center where Schwietering was his psychiatrist.

Schwietering specialized in child and adolescent therapy.

The boy told police he was at a therapy session when Schwietering abused him.

According to a criminal complaint, the victim told police that he did not tell anyone about the abuse that allegedly happened for almost a year and a half because he says the suspect told him if he did tell anyone, he would hurt him really bad.

"The victim had indicated and you can tell by the complaint that he was absolutely petrified of what might happen because of threats that had been made to him," Barbara Michaels from the district attorney’s office said.

Cornerstone Counseling Services says they fired Schwietering last year after he was charged with possessing child porn.

They didn't talk on camera, but did say: "This is news to us. Our focus is going to be on taking care of our patients."

No one was home when we went to Schwietering's downtown Milwaukee condo to get a comment, but Brookfield residents had plenty to say.

"When someone goes in, and gives them their trust on being treated for a certain disease, and then they get violated, I think he should be reprimanded," Steven Gray said.

Schwietering faces up to 40 years in prison if he's convicted.

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