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A Huntington city police officer pleaded guilty to sexual battery before the second day of his trial began Thursday.
William C. Wike Jr., 42, of the 7000 block of West Monument Road in Huntington, was accused of fondling a 15-year-old girl on multiple occasions between 2006 and 2007. He was charged in a Huntington County court last year with one count of sexual misconduct with a minor and two counts of child seduction – one of which was later modified to sexual battery.
After the selection of a jury, his trial began Wednesday with opening statements and the testimony of one witness, according to D.J. Sigler, Whitley County chief deputy prosecutor, who handled the case. Wike’s change of heart Thursday morning did not surprise Sigler.
"In my opinion, when a defendant faces a jury of 12, it alters their thinking," said Sigler, who was appointed special prosecutor in the case because of Wike’s position on the Huntington city police force.
As a result of his plea, the other charges against Wike will be dropped. The plea also carried no sentencing recommendations or guidelines for the court, which means he could receive up to three years in prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled for December.
Indiana State Police launched an investigation after Wike’s accuser told a friend he had touched her inappropriately on several occasions. He was arrested in August 2008 and subsequently suspended without pay by Huntington’s Board of Works until the case was resolved.
