Day Care Molestation Cases Don't Always Stick
April 7, 2007 — -- Police in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., have launched an investigation into child sexual abuse after arresting a man for allegedly molesting children in his wife's day care center.
William Huck Sr. faces 13 counts of first-degree child molestation and four counts of first-degree statutory sodomy with a person under 14 years old.
In a probable cause statement, Huck, a retired railroad worker, confessed to the sexual assaults. He said the most recent incident happened two weeks ago on a day when his wife left for a doctor's appointment, leaving him alone with the children.
Huck's confession has been viewed by many as an indication of his guilt. However, cases of sexual molestation involving minors are typically very difficult to tackle, experts say.
In the case in Ste. Genevieve, a town located about 50 miles from St. Louis, none of the alleged victims showed any traces of physical abuse on their bodies or clothing. Also, some of the alleged victims were as young as 6 months old, and therefore unable to communicate.
In other cases of sexual assault, proof is equally elusive. Law enforcement, child protection agencies and lawyers take a multidisciplinary response to these sensitive situations.
"It is a very delicate matter," said Anna Campaign-Romera, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Social Services. "There is sophisticated social work required."
One of the difficulties is overcoming children's instincts to protect their parents.
"Families often tell kids that what goes on in the family stays in the family," said Ileana Ascher, an elementary school psychologist from New York. "Kids are afraid their parents will be punished, or that they will be taken away from their parents."
Despite the difficulty of the investigation, social service groups saidthat there are certain indicators investigators look for when interviewing children.
"One of the main things is that if the story is specific and consistent, the chances are the child is telling the truth," said Sara Anderson, another Missouri Department of Social Services spokeswoman.
But even in the most sensational cases, charges don't always stick.
In the 1983 case of the McMartin Preschool in Manhattan Beach, Calif., members of the McMartin family, the owners of the preschool, were charged with ritualized sexual abuse. Judy Johnson, the mother of one of the McMartin preschool students, reported that her son was sodomized by her estranged husband and McMartin teacher Ray Buckley.
But the charges, at one point alleging more than 300 cases of abuse in the spring of 1984, were dropped in 1990 for lack of evidence. The alleged victims' claims of abuse, ranging from games of "naked movie star" to mass orgies in a network of underground tunnels, could not be verified through investigating other sources.
Investigators of the Ste. Genevieve case believe there are many more victims beyond those already identified. Huck may have molested as many as 40 children over the past 30 years. The additional cases are under investigation and charges will be sought in the near future, according to court documents.
Citizens of Ste. Genevieve were reeling from the news that has involved many citizens of the rural town. The instance has exasperated residents, saying they fear day care child abuse is more prevalent than previously thought.
"It's almost like you can't trust anything anymore," said Sue Bach, psychiatric manager of Headstart, an alternative day care program in the county.
The day care center been closed since Huck's arrest earlier this month, and Huck remains in jail with bail set at $1 million.
Neither Police Lt. Tim Craig nor Huck's attorney, Tim Inman, could be reached for comment.
According to local residents, the case is particularly disturbing because despite the town's closeness, dozens of victims could have been hidden over three decades.
Huck was never viewed as a suspicious character, residents say.
"We're a small community," said Sue Bach. "People thought it was a good place to take their kids."