CLEARFIELD – After an in-depth investigation by Lawrence Township police, Franklin William Wilson, 41, of Clearfield has been accused of sexually abusing six girls between 2001 and 2015.
Wilson was arraigned Wednesday by Magisterial District Judge Jerome Nevling. He remains incarcerated at the Clearfield County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. Wilson’s preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 12 p.m. Aug. 12 at the jail.
According to the affidavit of probable clause, Lawrence Township police received a report about alleged child abuse from Clearfield County Children & Youth Services on Feb. 17. A caseworker provided a report to police in which a 10-year-old girl had alleged being inappropriately touched by Wilson.
On Feb. 20, police went to the Child Advocacy Center of Centre County in Bellefonte to observe a forensic interview that was conducted with the victim. During the interview, the victim allegedly detailed sexual assaults that occurred between Dec. 30, 2014 and Feb. 13.
The victim said that on three, different mornings, she went downstairs and sat next to Wilson in the living area of his residence. She alleged that Wilson would watch pornography on his cellular phone and made her watch it, as well.
One time while Wilson was watching pornography, the victim alleged that he inappropriately touched her. She said she felt afraid but was too afraid to yell for help. The victim also alleged that Wilson inappropriately touched himself in front of her. When she asked him to stop, he did not; when he did she said he told her not to tell anyone.
On or about Feb. 20, a search warrant was requested and obtained for Wilson’s cellular phone. It was executed by township police that day at Wilson’s residence.
Then, a search warrant was requested for any and all data contained within the phone, internally or within removable memory. On or about Feb. 26, it was approved by the district attorney and obtained through Magisterial District Judge Richard Ireland.
Police transported all warrants and Wilson’s cell phone to Detective John W. Aston of the State College Police Department on Feb. 26. Aston was requested to conduct a cell phone analysis and data extraction.
On March 6, police arrived at the State College Police Department to retrieve Wilson’s cell phone and reports on its forensic analysis. Aston released two DVDs with cell phone data. Upon reviewing Aston’s report, police allegedly determined Wilson’s cell phone contained hundreds, possibly thousands, of images that were embedded in the memory of the phone.
According to the affidavit, all of the images were allegedly previously viewed on Web sites, videos, etc. It was also allegedly found that Wilson’s cell phone had accessed hundreds of adult Web sites that contained pornography, including ones reported by the victim.
A second tool through the State College Police Department was used to conduct another data extraction from Wilson’s phone. Once the tool was activated by investigators, dozens of Web sites were flagged that were similar to the ones found during the first extraction.
“The extraction confirmed that there were hundreds, possibly several thousand, images all being flagged as suspicious and or pornographic and or depicting images of females that appeared youthful or minor in age or relevant to the overall investigation,” said police.
Upon further review of evidence on a DVD, police found an image from the phone’s memory. It allegedly depicted a male and female performing a sex act, which was similar to one described by the victim.
While progressing through the investigation, police received another report involving Wilson from CYS. A provided CYS report stated that the victim, now 20 years old, experienced childhood sexual abuse from the approximate age of 6 years old until she was 16 years old.
On April 17, police interviewed the second victim who alleged Wilson had sexually abused her for 10 years. When she was approximately 6 years old the victim alleged that Wilson inappropriately touched her, and she was scared.
The second victim alleged that Wilson continued to sexually abuse her, and it occurred more frequently as she got older. She said that it escalated to being “more serious and violent.” In some incidents, she alleged that the sexual abuse involved other victims.
The second victim told police that she never reported Wilson, as she was afraid he’d harm her family. She said she had found bullets to guns that Wilson owned throughout the residence, as well as a knife in a dresser drawer and razor blades on the head board of a bed.
Police also conducted interviews with each of the other victims. On May 23, the third victim told police she and her sister would visit Wilson’s residence, when she was 9 or 10 years old. In 2004-2005, she alleged that they would be alone with Wilson while hanging out with the second victim, and he was “perverted and inappropriate” towards them.
The fourth victim alleged that while at Wilson’s residence, he showed them a pornographic magazine. She told police that it wasn’t the only time that he’d shown them pornography, and he also had an adult pornography movie playing in the room. The fourth victim alleged that after being forced to watch the movie, Wilson proceeded to sexually abuse them.
On May 23 police interviewed a fifth victim who alleged that there were multiple incidents of sexual abuse when she was approximately 14 years old. For example, she alleged Wilson would order pornographic movies on television and make them watch the movies. She also alleged that Wilson would mimic sex acts from the movies with her.
On May 24 police interviewed a sixth victim who alleged multiple incidents of sexual abuse when she was 14 years old. While watching a movie, she alleged that Wilson inappropriately touched her. One time she alleged they were getting ready for a four-wheeler ride when Wilson told them they couldn’t leave until they finished a movie he put in.
She alleged that other times Wilson would have inappropriate contact with her and attempt to get her to touch him inappropriately.
Police arranged to interview Wilson with Trooper Kimberly Ronan of the Clearfield-based state police. When police reminded him of the interview Wilson said he wasn’t sure if he would show up and would let them know the day before. On June 9, Wilson didn’t appear for his interview at the Clearfield barracks.
