Eau Claire Man, 82, Charged With 11 Child Sexual Assault Counts, Investigation Seeks More Victims Near Campground

Robert Karstensen, an 82-year-old man from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has been charged with 11 counts related to the sexual assault of at least five children, with alleged crimes occurring in the 1990s and 2000s. The Barron County Sheriff's Department believes Karstensen may have victimized additional children connected to the Chetek River Campground between 1994 and 1998. The victims were reportedly between the ages of 3 and 10 at the time of the alleged assaults. Authorities have urged any potential victims to come forward and contact Detective Jason Olson. Karstensen’s charges include repeated sexual assault of a child, first-degree sexual assault, child enticement, and exposing children to harmful material. Another individual, James Barbey, a neighbor of Karstensen, has also been charged and is alleged to have abused some of the same victims, with both defendants reportedly aware of each other's actions.