Five high school students face assault charges in Winneshiek County

Five Winneshiek County high school students have been charged in relation to two assaults on a fellow student.

Braxton Smith, 18, was charged with aggravated assault with intent to commit sexual assault, according to a Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office news release on Wednesday. Four other students were referred to juvenile court - additional information about their charges was not released.

The assaults, according to the sheriff's office, occurred at South Winneshiek High School in Calmar and at a home in rural Winneshiek County near Fort Atkinson.

A criminal complaint filed Tuesday described Smith, of Cedar Falls, and a group of students holding down a male student against his will in June 2018.

The group removed his shorts and placed dog treats inside and around him, according to the complaint. They did not allow him to get up when he told them to stop, instead letting a dog eat the treats.

One of the juveniles recorded video of the incident on Snapchat and sent it to others on the mobile messaging app.

Because of a conflict of interest, the Winneshiek County Attorney's Office has turned over prosecution of the case to the Allamakee County Attorney's Office.

Braxton's court date is set for March 4 at the Winneshiek County Courthouse, according to a criminal complaint.

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