Court sets bail at $300,000 cash

By Sarah Nigbor

Editor’s note: This article may contain disturbing content not suitable for children and/or those who are survivors of sexual or domestic violence.

RIVER FALLS – Bail for a River Falls man accused of sex travcking his girlfriend, holding her against her will and abusing her for two years was set at $300,000 Aug. 9 in Pierce County Circuit Court. Austin Taylor Koeckeritz, 28, was ordered to pay $300,000 cash bail on felony human travcking (domestic abuse, lifetime supervision of seri –

ous sex ouenders), felony second de – gree sexual assault (domestic abuse, lifetime supervision of serious sex ouenders), felony intimidate victim/ domestic abuse crime, felony expose child to harmful material (lifetime supervision of serious sex ouend – ers), battery (domestic abuse) and disorderly conduct (domestic abuse) charges Aug. 9. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison and/or fines up to $100,000 for the most serious ouense. According to the complaint: On Aug. 3, a complainant report ed his friend had been involved in a domestic abuse incident at 626 Hazel St. The friend told the complainant Koeckeritz had dumped hot grease down her back and she was afraid to contact police. She and Koeckeritz lived together at 626 Hazel St. and were in a relationship. When police spoke to the wom – an, she was fearful of retaliation but said Koeckeritz was sleeping inside the house. She detailed a nightmarish history of the past two years in which she had been forced to perform sexual acts for hours at a time on lives- tream pornographic websites. She told police she had started dating Koeckeritz two years ago after meeting him on a dating web site and moved in with him three to four months into their relationship. Koeckeritz forced her into sex work, where he streamed her on four diuer –

ent platforms. Once she started mak – ing good money, he forced her to sign a contract to make it a "business"

See KOECKERITZ, Page 10

Austin Taylor Koeckeritz

from Page 1

called The Boring Company.

She wasn’t allowed freedom and was kept in a room to livestream sex acts. If she skipped a day, Koeckeritz would force her to work longer hours. He also asked her to recruit girls from the nearby UW-River Falls campus, but she never did so. He isolated her from her friends and family and threatened to shoot them if they came to rescue her.

The survivor had provided a family member and friend with evidence to give police, which they did. It included photos, links and videos. In one text message, Koeckeritz told the survivor when she asked for a shower: “Really need to stop this, meals exercise and all other routines are coordinated around a schedule and you getting off this early keeps screwing everything.” He also had plans to get a juvenile sister involved in his “business,” pursuing more “adult-themed TikTok/ furry stuff.” At one point, the survivor said the sister sexually assaulted her while she was tied up after which Koeckeritz raped her. He also forced both females to do a nude photo shoot.

The survivor told officers she had made over $100,000 but never saw the money as Koeckeritz put it in his bank accounts. He convinced her to she would be alone if she ever left him.

The complaint goes on to detail multiple accounts of domestic abuse, sexual violence, rape and torture. When police spoke to Koeckeritz, he said they were in a “happy relationship” and that his girlfriend was a porn star. He admitted to running the business and keeping loaded weapons in the house, but denied physically harming her or holding her against her will.

Koeckeritz is scheduled to appear at a 10 a.m. preliminary hearing in Pierce County Circuit Court on Sept. 23.