CLINTONVILLE, WI (WSAU) — Bond has been set for a Clintonville man accused of kidnapping a teenager and demanding a ransom.
Elijah Kerrigan age 35 is facing 11 charges relating to the January 8th incident. According to the criminal complaint, Kerrigan kidnapped a Shawano County teen, held her in a Clintonville motel room where he gave her drugs and sexually assaulted her. On the morning of the 8th, Kerrigan sent a text to the teen’s mother demanding a $2,500 ransom.
Police who were investigating the disappearance of the teenager talked to friends who said she could be with Kerrigan. Investigators then learned police had been called to Kerrigan’s motel room for an odor of marijuana. Police went to the motel on the 8th where staff identified the girl. When entering the room, police found the girl hiding under the bed.
During an interview with police, the girl said she ran away from home the day before New Year’s Eve and that she met with Kerrigan because she viewed him as a “father figure” in her life. She did drugs with Kerrigan as it helped her anxiety, she also said Kerrigan made money selling drugs from the motel room.
The girl also said that the two had sex. The complaint states a video was discovered on Kerrigan’s phone showing the two engaging in a sex act. There are no quotes from Kerrigan in the complaint.
Kerrigan is being held on a $50,000 cash bond and is expected to return to court on January 25th for a preliminary hearing.
