Bartkey bound over in assault case

Talk about it

A woman charged with sexually assaulting a young man in Somerset more than a year ago was bound over for trial Dec. 13 in a preliminary hearing.

Valerie Marie Bartkey, 25, St. Paul, Minn. was scheduled for arraignment hearing Feb. 4 when she is expected to plea on felony charges of sexual assault by force, battery, false imprisonment and intentionally subjecting a person at risk to abuse. She is also charged with misdemeanor battery and criminal damage.

Bartkey, formerly of Somerset, and her sister, Amanda Lynn Johnson, 18, River Falls, were charged in the Oct. 1, 2011, assault of an 18-year-old male. The criminal complaint alleged Johnson and Bartkey forced a young male to drink urine from a glass and Bartkey pulled his penis with a pliers at a Town of Somerset residence.

Court records said the victim suffered from Aspberger’s-Autism Spectrum according to a psychological examination.

Johnson, who had a Hudson address at the time, was convicted of misdemeanor battery and criminal damage July 26. She was sentenced to probation for two years, fined $486 and ordered to maintain absolute sobriety.

Johnson entered a deferred prosecution agreement on felony charges of false imprisonment, subjecting an individual at risk to abuse and misdemeanor intimidating a victim.

Bartkey posted a $10,000 signature bond Dec. 13.

The original charges were dismissed April 17 and the case was re-filed.

Tags: st croix county, news, crime, somerset