Charges refiled on man accused of touching child
Charges have been refiled against an Eau Claire man accused of inappropriately touching a 5-year-old girl.
William S. Brookbank, 50, had felony charges of child endangerment and corruption of minors, and misdemeanor charges of indecent assault and indecent exposure withdrawn by prosecutors March 16.
That decision was made, according to court records, “due to the essential witness having recanted and is being noncooperative.”
District Judge Lewis Stoughton on Monday arraigned Brookbank on the same charges. The defendant was later placed in Butler County Prison on $500,000 bail.
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger said he could not elaborate on why his office dismissed the case. But the decision to charge Brookbank again, he said, was appropriate.
“We refiled because, after consulting with (police),” he said Wednesday in an email response, “we felt the charges could be proven and that we owed it to the victim to re-file the charges and obtain justice for her.”
Investigators interviewed the girl in September 2017, court documents said, after her mother contacted police about the alleged abuse of her daughter at the defendant's mobile home.
The girl recounted that Brookbank pulled down his pants, exposing himself, and inappropriately touched her, police said. While touching her, she told authorities, Brookbank called her a derogatory name.
He also allegedly pulled her by the hair, pushed and hit her.
The girl, who accused Brookbank of touching her on two occasions, told authorities that she was afraid of him.
Police suspect the crimes happened between October 2016 and September of last year.
Stoughton initially arraigned Brookbank on Sept. 27, 2017. Afterward, he remanded the defendant to prison without bail — an unusual move in a non-homicide case.
The action was taken after police advised Stoughton of a threat Brookbank allegedly made following his arrest. Brookbank, authorities said, claimed he was going to get a gun and “shoot the kid's mother when this is done.”
Police subsequently charged him with terroristic threats in a separate case, which is pending trial in Butler County Court.
Brookbank's attorney, public defender Charles Nedz, was out of the office Wednesday and he could not be reached for comment.
