SPARTA - With the husband of his alleged victim sitting only a short distance away, a $20,000 cash bond was set for James G. Doeslaere Friday in Monroe County Circuit Court.

Doeslaere, 47, is charged with two counts of second degree sexual assault and one count of intentional abuse of a patient - bodily harm in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 73-year-old female Alzheimer's patient at Rolling Hills Nursing Home.

Doeslaere, who worked at Rolling Hills for five years as a nurses aid, has been fired from that job.

Monroe County District Attorney Dan Cary asked Circuit Court Judge Michael McAlpine to impose a $5,000 cash bond. With his voice cracking, the victim's husband, who asked to speak, felt that was too lenient.

"I can't say what he has done to me," the man said. "I don't want him to be able to post bond. She (his wife) could not even scream. I want to see a $200,000 cash bond."

Doeslaere's attorney, State Public Defender Allan Beatty, asked for a reasonable bond amount, citing the fact that his client's wife has cancer and he is her care provider.

According to the criminal complaint, Rolling Hills Administrator Gene Schwarze contacted Monroe County Detective Jeff Sullivan on Feb. 25 to report a "possible sexual assault" that happened earlier that morning.

Schwarze said the alleged assault was reported by another Rolling Hills employee.

The employee told Schwarze she was working with Doeslaere on the night of the alleged assault.

The employee said she was looking for Doeslaere and was unable to locate him. The witness was unable to find Doeslaere and went looking for him.

She came to the woman's room and looked through a "peep hole" and saw Doeslaere "straddling" the woman and "leaning over her." The witness said she recognized Doeslaere due to his ponytail and physical build.

The employee said Doeslaere was the only male employee on duty that night in what is called a lock down unit.

The witness saw Doeslaere making "thrusting or pumping motions with his hips over (the woman)."

The employee said, "she was in shock and felt bad that she didn't enter the room, but she was shocked and scared and didn't know what to do."

The witness then told another employee. On Feb. 28 Sullivan spoke with Doeslaere, who initially denied the assault, saying he only helped the woman to a restroom, then back to her bed.

Sullivan then told Doeslaere that an employee witnessed the assault. Doeslaere then told Sullivan, "I ----ed up," and explained details of the assault.

The woman was taken to to Gundersen Lutheran Hospital, La Crosse, for a sexual assault examination, Cary said. His office is still waiting for those results. Due to the advance stage of the her Alzheimer's, she is not able to communicate, he added.

Cary also requested that an HIV and communicable disease test be done on the woman. McAlpine complied with the request.

Cary said prior allegations against Doeslaere in 1996 in Juneau County are being investigated.

Cary declined to provide more specific information regarding the allegations.

"Some other things are coming to light that we are checking into at this time," Sullivan said.

Another court appearance is scheduled for Monday (today) at 9 a.m. for Doeslaere, who remains in the Monroe County Jail. Doeslaere faces a maximum of 86 years in prison and $210,000 in fines if convicted on all three felony charges.