A former Picayune resident, William Curtis Rockwell, was arrested late last year after being indicted in 2015 on two charges alleging he sexually molested an underage female.
The indictment was the result of an investigation by the Picayune Police Department, who received a complaint from the mother of the alleged victim on Oct. 21, of 2014, said Chief Bryan Dawsey. The complaint alleged that Rockwell molested the woman’s daughter between 2007 and 2012 in Picayune. Dawsey said the victim was 13-years-old at the time the alleged crime was reported.
Dawsey said after the department’s domestic abuse investigator looked into the complaint, the investigator allowed the parent to sign an affidavit, leading to the evidence being presented to a Pearl River County grand jury. The grand jury indicted Rockwell on the charge in June 2015.
Rockwell, who was 52 at the time of his arrest, was arrested by the Pascagoula Police Department on Dec. 19, 2016 for traffic violations including failure to dim headlights, suspended driver’s license, no proof of insurance and switched tag, according to records filed with the Pascagoula Police Department.
Dawsey said the 18-month gap between Rockwell’s indictment and his arrest was due to their inability to locate him. Rockwell’s last known address was 600 Mamie Street in Hattiesburg.
Rockwell’s bond was set at $30,000 and a trial has been set for Nov. 7.
Editor’s note: Rockwell is a former employee of the Picayune Item, where he was employed from 2006 to 2014.