Judge Being Investigated For Child Sex Abuse

The Whatcom County sheriff’s office, at the request of the Island County prosecutor, will investigate child-sexabuse allegations against a District Court judge.

An outside agency was asked to do the probe to avoid an appearance of conflict of interest, said Island County Sheriff Owen Burt.

A Whatcom County sheriff’s detective will look into reports that District Judge Merle Wilcox sexually molested several children before and after becoming a judge, Burt said Friday.

The state Commission on Judicial Conduct last month accused Wilcox of offering to fix traffic tickets and acting improperly in the courtroom, as well as sexually abusing children and beating his former wife.

A commission hearing is scheduled for July. If the panel upholds the allegations, it could admonish or censure Wilcox or recommend that the state Supreme Court remove him from his $91,500-a-year post.

Since the commission charges were made public, another person has reported a sexual assault, which also will be investigated by the Whatcom County sheriff’s office, Burt said.

Wilcox could not be reached for comment Saturday. He has previously denied the allegations, saying they are the fallout from a bitter divorce.