Man released in sexual assault case
An Eau Claire man accused of inappropriately touching a 5-year-old girl was released onto pretrial supervision after an order issued in Butler County Court Thursday.
William S. Brookbank, 50, was released on President Judge Thomas Doerr's order following a hearing on Tuesday.
Brookbank initially was charged with felony counts of child endangerment and corruption of minors, and several misdemeanor charges in September 2017. He was held without bond before it was changed to $500,000, and he was incarcerated in Butler County Prison for eight months before the case was later withdrawn by prosecutors on March 16.
Brookbank was then released onto pretrial supervision with house arrest for another pending matter in April, and the sexual assault case was refiled in June, with Brookbank again being arrested and jailed on $500,000 bail.
His attorney, assistant public defender Charles Nedz, argued that because the two cases are identical Brookbank is eligible for relief under Pennsylvania Criminal Procedure Rule 600.
That rule states: “except in cases in which the defendant is not entitled to release on bail as provided by law, no defendant shall be held in pretrial incarceration in excess of 180 days from the date on which the complaint is filed.”
Assistant district attorney Benjamin Simon argued that because the case was initially withdrawn, that started the clock all over again regarding Rule 600.
Brookbank is scheduled for formal arraignment Aug. 7.
Investigators interviewed the girl in September 2017, court documents said, after her mother contacted police about the alleged abuse. The girl recounted that Brookbank exposed himself and inappropriately touched and hit her, police said.
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.
Brookbank also faces a terroristic threats charge in a separate case, after police said he allegedly made a threat following his arrest, claiming he was going to get a gun and “shoot the kid's mother when this is done.”
