A dating-app meetup in Port Washington is now at the center of a felony case after a woman told police the man she met through Tinder and Snapchat allegedly choked her and sexually assaulted her during their first in-person meeting. The alleged encounter took place late May 1 or early May 2, and the woman reported it almost immediately.
Anthony C. Delyea Jr., 24, of Cottage Grove, is charged with second-degree sexual assault and strangulation and suffocation, both felonies. Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Sandy Williams set bail at $100,000 during a July 12 hearing, according to Ozaukee Press.
What Investigators Say Happened
The criminal complaint says the woman told investigators Delyea held her by the neck and made it difficult for her to breathe. She said she pushed, kicked and scratched him, and that he later said sorry; an officer who arrived around 1:12 a.m. found her crying. Neighbor video and automated license-plate camera footage were also reviewed as investigators tracked the vehicle tied to the encounter.
Investigators also followed a digital trail. Records from Snap Inc. identified the owner of the Snapchat account using the username buggalob through an email address, date of birth and phone number, while selfies and an employment photo were described as matching Delyea; other images showed a Honda Civic consistent with the victim's description.
What Wisconsin's Charges Mean
Wisconsin labels the alleged conduct as second-degree sexual assault rather than using rape as the formal charge name. Under the Wisconsin State Law Library's summary, the offense covers sexual contact or intercourse without consent by use or threat of force or violence. Wisconsin's strangulation statute separately addresses intentionally impeding normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the throat or neck or blocking the nose or mouth.
The sexual-assault count is a Class C felony, which carries a maximum of 25 years of initial confinement followed by up to 15 years of extended supervision. The strangulation count is a Class H felony with a maximum of three years of initial confinement and three years of extended supervision, according to Ozaukee Press; those are statutory maximums, not a prediction of the outcome.
Delyea is accused, not convicted, and the charges remain allegations that prosecutors would have to prove in court. The woman was not identified in the available report.
