Mayo Clinic Dr. Pleads Not Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Children

(Learfield)- A Mayo Clinic doctor from Minnesota is pleading not guilty to having sexual contact with three girls under age 18 in La Crosse, Wis.

40-year-old Joseph Poterucha of Rochester is charged with three counts of first-degree child sexual assault. The judge determined there is probable cause for a pre-trial conference next month.

The complaint alleges that the most recent assault happened in October and Poterucha threatened to harm the child if she reported it. The other two incidents reportedly occurred in 2019.

None of the alleged incidents happened at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse.