Jackson County man sentenced to 30 years for sexual assault

BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. — A Melrose man is sentenced to prison for his role in the sexual assault of a woman in 2010.

22-year-old Phillip Ronning will spend 30 years behind bars and serve 10 years of extended supervision in a sentenced handed down Friday in Jackson County Court.

According to court documents, Ronning and his uncle, 40-year-old Rodney Tollefson, took the woman to a secluded area in August 2010 and beat and sexually assaulted her.

Ronning pleaded guilty in August 2011 to one count of first-degree sexual assault and one count of false imprisionment.

The victim was in court for Ronning’s sentencing, and talked about the pain she suffered at Ronning’s hands.

Tollefson faces more than 30 felony charges for allegedly sexually assalting the same woman over the span of more than 15 years in Jackson and Manitowoc counties.

Tollefson is scheduled to stand trial in Jackson County in March 2012.

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