Police: Rural Ste. Gen man may have abused up to 40 children at day care

A 60-year-old eastern Missouri man has been charged with sexually abusing two children at the day care center his wife operated. And police said Tuesday they suspect up to 40 children -- some as young as 6 months of age -- may have been molested over the past 30 years.

William Huck Sr. of rural Ste. Genevieve remains jailed on $1 million bond following his arrest March 25. He has been charged with 13 counts of first-degree child molestation and four counts of statutory sodomy involving a 4-year-old boy and his sister, who is now 10. But police expect many more charges to follow.

"We know there are more victims," Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff's Lt. Tim Craig said.

Huck's wife operated the day-care center out of her home in Ste. Genevieve County. She watched five children at the facility, which did not have a name and was not licensed by the state. State licensing is required only for day care centers with six or more children.

The center shut down after Huck's arrest.

In a probable-cause statement, Huck admitted to engaging in sexual conduct with the boy 12 times over the past year, most recently about two weeks before his arrest while his wife was away at a doctor's visit.

Huck also told investigators that he molested 40 children over the past 30 years, the statement said, and offered specific details of the crimes.

Huck's wife did not know about the sexual abuse and learned about it only after he was arrested, Craig said. "In many ways, she's a victim, too," he said.