A 39-year-old Greenville man who served as a volunteer firefighter has been charged with repeated sexual assault of the same child after a girl told investigators the abuse began when she was roughly 3 or 4 years old and continued until she was 10 or 11. Brian A. Baldwin faces one felony count in Outagamie County, a charge that under Wisconsin law can encompass at least three separate violations of first-degree sexual assault.
According to The Post-Crescent, the case began on Sept. 18 when a sergeant received a walk-in complaint reporting that Baldwin had been communicating with a minor girl through phone messages and had bought her nicotine vapes. Six days later, on Sept. 24, the girl spoke with a sergeant herself and turned over her phone to police. She told investigators the assaults had occurred regularly for years, happening once or twice every two weeks, and said plainly that she did not like what was happening to her.
Per the criminal complaint as described in the newspaper's reporting, Baldwin allegedly bought the girl candy and other gifts in exchange for sexual acts and, at times, placed a pillow over her face so she could not see what was happening. The complaint also describes an incident in which Baldwin took the girl to a hotel in Green Bay, where he made her kiss him; she refused to do anything more, and he reportedly seemed quiet and upset on the drive home. The girl had told a parent she was instead going to a nearby friend's house that day, according to the same account.
Messages, a Confrontation, and an Arrest
The complaint further alleges that Baldwin contacted the girl using different phone numbers and instructed her to delete their messages and avoid adding him as a contact. Police interviewed Baldwin at the Greenville Fire Department on Sept. 30. He initially denied taking the girl to the Green Bay hotel, but admitted to it once confronted with evidence, the paper reported. He also told police the girl had always confided in him and that he would always be there for her, before telling officers he would fight the charges and that this was not his first rodeo. He was arrested that day on suspicion of ongoing sexual assault and handcuffed.
Fire Department Response
Greenville Fire Chief Tim Lambie confirmed Baldwin was a member of the department and said he has been placed on a leave of absence until the court case runs its course. Baldwin had been listed as a firefighter on the Town of Greenville's website as recently as Oct. 20 but has since been removed from that roster, the newspaper reported.
The Post-Crescent described the department as having roughly 55 firefighters, three of whom work full time, while the Town of Greenville describes its department as having approximately 55 firefighters and officers plus 16 EMS first responders, with three firefighter or first responder positions working full time. The town's own materials note that its paid-on-call members receive a stipend for each call they attend.
Court Timeline and Potential Penalties
Baldwin appeared for a status conference in Outagamie County court on Oct. 30 and is scheduled to return to court on Dec. 10, per the paper's reporting. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison. The case was reported by Mia Thurow, the Post-Crescent's public safety reporter.
