Ste. Genevieve man waives hearing in molestation case

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- An eastern Missouri man accused of molesting children at a family-run day care center waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday, pushing his case one step closer to trial with an arraignment set in October.

William Huck Sr., 60, is accused of molesting eight children at the home-based day-care center operated by his wife in Ste. Genevieve. But police say Huck has confessed to molesting 40 children over the past three decades.

Huck arrived in court Wednesday for his preliminary hearing surrounded by armed guards and wearing a bulletproof vest. Authorities said they were worried about Huck's safety after his confession roiled this tightly knit community. Huck did not acknowledge spectators in the gallery as sheriff's deputies led him into a small holding room next to the court and closed the door behind him.

The hearing was delayed for more than 90 minutes as Huck's attorneys shuttled between the holding room and the prosecuting attorney's office down the hall.

Ste. Genevieve prosecutor Timothy Inman said they were discussing a plea deal, but could not reach an agreement.

When Huck waived his preliminary hearing, it automatically moved his trial on to Ste. Genevieve Circuit Court.

He will be arraigned there Oct. 16 by Judge Kenneth Pratte.

Huck's defense attorney, Mary Elizabeth Ott, declined to comment after the hearing. Spectators in the gallery also declined to comment after some of them were also called into Inman's office during the closed-door discussions.

Huck was arrested in March. He faces charges that include statutory sodomy, child molestation and sex abuse. The alleged victims included a 15-month-old boy and other children younger than 5.

Huck is charged with molesting eight children, but Inman said he plans to drop charges related to one of the victims when the case moves to circuit court. The victim was allegedly abused in 1982 and Inman said it's unclear if the state statute of limitations would prohibit him from filing charges in the case.

After Huck admitted to abusing dozens of children, sheriff's deputies interviewed children from throughout the area who attended his wife's day care. Inman said he has no plans to file additional charges.

"I've charged every [case] that there was sufficient evidence to bring charges," he said.

Inman said he had been prepared to call witnesses for a preliminary hearing and to show hours of video of witness testimony. That became unnecessary when Huck waived the hearing.

Authorities have said Huck's wife was unaware of the abuse, and she is not charged. Court documents alleged Huck abused the children while his wife was away running errands. Police say he used fear to manipulate at least one child into keeping the abuse a secret.

Huck, a retired railroad worker, had no previous criminal record.

The day-care business was not licensed by Missouri. The center watched too few children for it to need a license.

Huck is being held on $1 million bond at the Ste. Genevieve County jail.