A former TV personality on a local television program was arrested in San Diego County on the charges of sexual abuse on children after 37 years. The sexual abuse happened nearly four decades ago during a free camping trip.
Known as Mr. Wonder on the television, Frank John Selas III, now 76 years old has been arrested for the said indicted crimes with two counts of obscene behavior with a juvenile, according to ABC News. For 37 years, the former TV personality stayed hidden from the law. He was arrested on his home located in Bonita, California, Louisiana Rapides Parish sheriff's office said on Tuesday.
Back in the late 1970's, Selas hosted the show, KNOE-TV in North Louisiana using Mr. Wonder as his screen name. In June 1979, Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office received complaints of sexual abuse during a camping trip at the Kisatchie National Forest in Gardener, KALB reported.
Detective William Earl Hilton and Detective Graham Hendricks were originally in-charge of the investigations. The two detectives settled on their investigations leading to obtained a warrant of arrest for Selas for the said charges. Pursued by the law enforcers and with the assistance of Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office, Selas, allegedly fled the country before they could arrest him.
The sheriff's office said investigators have identified seven alleged victims, but the charges only relate to two of them, Town Talk reported. According to Rapides Parish District Attorney Phillip Terrell during the press conference, the statute of limitation is not applied to his case since he fled the country.
Brian Mosley, the appointed chief prosecutor said Selas will stand on trial Wednesday afternoon. "We will be working with them between now and then to get them the appropriate information so that they can properly present our position to the judge in California."
Selas fled to Brazil after detectives obtained the arrest of warrant. Investigators also believed he returned to the US in the early 1980s and live with his wife with new identities in several different cities across the country.
The sheriff learned about Selas two weeks ago, who was residing in San Diego California. He also change his last name to Szeles in the early 1990s. Agents from a U.S. Marshals Service task force arrested him without incident.
