“William Rettew” Arrested at New Mexico Homeless Shelter
KOB Eyewitness News in Albuquerque, New Mexico, reported Monday, April 7, that the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office arrested a suspect named William Rettew, on charges of kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct, following an incident with a 12-year-old boy.
The incident allegedly took place at Joy Junction, the state’s largest homeless shelter where Rettew had been a part-time employee and lived in an apartment there with his wife and 4 children.
A subsequent report by KOB on April 10 and reported on their website, cited court documents alleging that Rettew was accused of using his 10-year-old son armed with a knife to force a 12-year-old to perform a sex act that was recorded on video by Rettew.
The report stated that at the time of his arrest, Rettew was being investigated by the FBI for sending porn images of children to internet addresses overseas.
Investigators told KOB Eyewitness News that child victim agencies in several states have filed claims against Rettew and that he and his family slipped out of Iowa under the cover of night upon learning that state officials were investigating allegations of child abuse.
At press time on Monday night, it was not clear if this is the same individual who disappeared from Greer, South Carolina, in the midst of mysterious child abuse allegations that resulted in 15 of 18 children, most of them with special needs, being removed from a Greer home by the South Carolina Department of Social Services in November 2001.
The Times Examiner reported in the December 5, 2001, issue that the home was raided by SC DSS aided by Greenville County Sheriffs Deputies armed with a court order signed by Judge Amy Sutherland. The reason for the raid was unclear and Judge Sutherland placed family members under a gag order.
Local residents familiar with the Greer case hope the arrest in New Mexico will shed new light on the Greer incident.
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