Madison man accused of violent assault, rape held on $1M cash bond

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Twenty-six-year-old Brandon Thompson of Madison made his first court appearance Thursday, Sept. 7. He's charged for the brutal beating of a UW student on a Madison street last weekend. 

Thompson is charged with first-degree sexual assault, first-degree reckless injury and strangulation and suffocation -- all felonies. 

The woman who was attacked survived, but with severe injuries. 

Thompson appeared by zoom from the Dane County Jail, and given the nature of the attack, the prosecution argued for a very high bail. 

"I think we can all be very honest and say that this man is perhaps our greatest public safety threat that lives in this county right now," said prosecuting attorney William Leroy Brown. "And that's deserving of a significant amount of cash bail."

The judge set cash bond at $1 million and ordered that if that bond is posted, Thompson will have to be fitted with GPS before he's released. 

Thompson's next court appearance is set for Aug. 25. 

If you or anyone you know has been the victim of a rape or sexual assault, there are resources available. 

Call 800-656-4673 to speak to the National Sexual Assault Hotline. Assistance is available 24/7.