Man found guilty of repeated sexual assault of a child

STEVENS POINT – A jury found Jose Mata, 51, guilty of repeated sexual assault of a child and second degree sexual assault of an unconscious victim. 

Mata was charged in Aug. of 2025 for the repeated sexual assault of a child that occurred  between May of 2017 and Dec. of 2020 and a sexual assault of that same victim when she was 17-years-old. The Stevens Point Police Department began the investigation of these sexual assaults in June of 2025 when the victim reported the assaults to police.  

The Stevens Point Police Department, through its investigation, and through the victim’s statement was able to determine that the defendant had sexually assaulted the victim at least 10 times between the ages of 13-years-old and 14-years-old and again when the victim was 17-years-old.  

The two-day trial was presided over by Judge Michael Zell and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jed Dodge. The jury deliberated for approximately two and a half hours before returning guilty verdicts on both counts.  

Following the verdict, Judge Zell revoked the defendant’s bond and remanded him to the custody of the Portage County Sheriff’s Office to await sentencing. 

Mata’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4, 2026.