A 66-year-old Viroqua man had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf, Wednesday, regarding nine felony charges he faces for suspected inappropriate sexual contact with a minor.

Russell E. Siverly, who is being held at the Vernon County Jail on $7,500 cash bond, stood mute when the charges against him were presented to Judge Michael Rosborough in Vernon County Circuit Court.

Rosborough entered not guilty pleas on Siverly’s behalf.

Siverly is charged with three Class B felony counts of first degree child sexual assault of a person under 12, three Class D felony counts of child enticement with sexual contact and three Class I felony counts of exposing a child to harmful material.

Prior to his arraignment, Siverly had faced life in prison for the Class A felony charge of first degree child sexual assault of a person under the age 13 which causes great bodily harm. That charge was amended to a Class B felony, Wednesday.

All together, Siverly faces a maximum of 265 1/2 years in prison and $330,000 in fines.

At Siverly’s preliminary hearing, which was held Tuesday, May 26, Rosborough found sufficient evidence to bind Siverly over for trial. A portion of the preliminary hearing was sealed to the public as a witness against Siverly, a minor, testified.

According to court records, Siverly allegedly sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl at his downtown Viroqua apartment on either Friday, April 10, or Saturday, April 11.

A sexual assault examination performed on the girl at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse in the week after the incident is alleged to have taken place found "significant" evidence that the girl was assaulted.

At Siverly’s bond hearing in late April, Viroqua Police officer Pat McGuire said that according to the statements of the victim and others the victim was supposed to have stayed overnight in Viroqua somewhere other than at Siverly’s apartment. However, the victim allegedly stayed overnight at Siverly’s where Siverly played a pornographic movie and assaulted her. A search of Siverly’s apartment found pornographic material and female undergarments, McGuire said.

Siverly told the court at his bond hearing that he was born in Chicago, grew up near Hayward, but had lived an extended period of time in Arizona. He said he had been convicted of two operating while intoxicated charges in that state, but had not other convictions. He has no other criminal record in Wisconsin and had lived in Viroqua for about two years.