Meeker County jury convicts man of sexual assault

At the end of the one-day jury trial, the jury convicted Paul Matthew Ashfeld, 33, of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree, criminal sexual conduct in the second degree and criminal sexual conduct in the third degree — all felonies.

He was also convicted of a misdemeanor charge of domestic assault.

Ashfeld is being held in the Meeker County Jail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for March 14.

According to the complaint filed against him, Ashfeld went to a Watkins home in the early hours of March 11, 2017, and physically assaulted a woman by strangling and slapping her and sexually assaulted her.

The woman fought against Ashfeld by biting him and scratching his face and was able to escape and ran into a bathroom.

But, according to the complaint, Ashfeld broke into the bathroom and dragged the woman by the hair back to the bedroom where he continued to assault her.

She had marks and bruises on her face and neck.

Ashfeld also had scratches on his face, which was consistent with the victim's statement, according to the police report.