94-year-old Facing Child Abuse Charges

If there is one thing that William Hartwell Bricker was known for during the course of his fifty year career, it was his work with children. He taught Physical Education at Hubbard Woods School in Winnetka, Wyoming; he volunteered as a Boy Scout leader; and he spent many summers working as a camp counselor.

 
But as it turns out, the now 94-year-old Bricker may have been indulging himself in other, much more sordid pleasures. Bricker, who is originally from Michigan and has returned here to live out his retirement years, is now facing charges of sexually abusing minors in Wyoming, which has no statute of limitations with regard to prosecuting older crimes.

 
According to Teton County authorities, they were recently alerted by the Boy Scouts of America that two men had come forward claiming that they were molested by Bricker when they were boys at Teton Valley Ranch Camp in Wyoming while Bricker served as a counselor there.

 
Court documents from Wyoming claim that Bricker took “immoral and indecent liberties” with the boys in question on a number of occasions. One boy was apparently molested “on or about the summer of 1962”, while the other claims to have been molested in 1985.

 
Warrants were issued by authorities in Wyoming, and Bricker was arrested and arraigned here in Michigan. He is awaiting extradition back to Wyoming to face charges.

 
But since the information about the charges has become public, many more men have come forward, claiming that they too were subject to sexual abuse at the hands of Bricker. A representative from the Boy Scouts of America says that the organisation has received information regarding alleged assaults that took place as far back as the 1960’s at the hands of Bricker.

 
A Chicago area blog named Mrs. Linklater’s Guide to the Universe, has been inundated with messages and anonymous posts that date back to 2011, from a host of people claiming that they were molested when they were children by Bricker.

 
The Sheriff in Teton County, Wyoming and police in Winnetka have both made public statements that the investigation is still open, and they fully expect that more victims will come forward in the near future.