Photo provided by YWCA as Detective Weber is awarded for his work of assisting victims of sex crimes over his career.
This story is graphic and contains details related to multiple indecent sexual assaults.
The author and editor of this story have made the editorial decision to not publish the names of the individuals under the age of 18 at the time of the incident who have been clearly identified as committing these acts in this case they were recently formally charged with a crime in South Carolina.
A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball
IF NOTHING HAPPENED IN MYRTLE BEACH
WHY WON’T THE WASD TELL US THE STORY?
PART XXXV – “Detective Weber retires on 40th anniversary in law enforcement”
OAG search warrants and report excoriates his behavior and role in the
2018 Williamsport Area High School Baseball Team trip to
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina investigation.
By Todd Bartley, TalkWilliamsport.com
News@TalkWilliamsport.com
Willie Weber Lycoming County Detective was not criminally charged by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shaprio in connection to the cover-up of the “criminal sexual misconduct” of a WAHS baseball player during the 2018 team trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The reason, “The OAG was unable to determine whether any attempt to ‘cover-up’ the conduct occurred in Pennsylvania due to the failure of the District Attorney’s Office to create, implement, and enforce any policies governing the conduct of county detectives.”
Earlier this year, the Horry County South Carolina Solicitor filed criminal charges against ALLEGED PERPETRATOR #1 in the case after an exhaustive multi-year investigation conducted by the Myrtle Beach Police Department and in conjunction with the Office of PA Attorney General.
On Tuesday, Weber retired as a detective in the Office of Lycoming County District Attorney Ryan Gardner.
Gardner was contacted for this story and offered the following comments:
“Upon arrival to the office Tuesday, September 28,
I was provided with a copy of the Attorney General’s previously sealed search warrants
in the Myrtle Beach/Williamsport baseball matter.
I immediately requested a meeting with (Lycoming County) Detective (William) Weber.
During this meeting Detective Weber informed me that he was retiring, effective immediately.
Today is Detective Weber’s 40th anniversary as a law enforcement officer.”
Ryan Gardner, District Attorney Lycoming County
TalkWilliamsport.com exclusively obtained the unsealed OAG search warrants yesterday.
Weber has been a central figure in the 2018 WAHS baseball team trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina case; based on information contained in the OAG search warrants:
- Weber took the lead on behalf of the law enforcement upon receiving the Childline call referral in mid-May 2018
- Failed to file a report in a timely manner after receiving the Childline call referral in mid-May 2018
- Failed to notify authorities of the incident in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Failed to provide video evidence of the incident to authorities in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for 5 months
- His involvement in meeting with JOHN DOE #1 and his family and failure to follow-up
- Meeting with the attorney for ALLEGED PERPETRATOR #1, WASD principal Brandon Pardoe and WASD Solicitor Fred Holland
- Failing to involve WASD School Resource officers in the “criminal” and “non-criminal investigations”
- Mislead then Assistant District Attorney Jeff Yates
- Once contacted by law enforcement authorities in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina continued to mislead them
In April 2021, Weber was awarded by the YWCA for his work assisting victims of sex crimes over his career.
According to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, where editor L. Lee “Laura” Janssen announced her retirement as editor this past Saturday.
Janssen and company have barely written a word of this horrible situation. The paper she served as editor offered the following on Weber receiving his award.
Speaking before the program began, Weber stressed the importance of all the agencies working as a team in the county to try to help victims.
“We’ve got an incredible team of people that all work together on child abuse and sexual assault,” Weber said.
Weber enumerated the various groups involved in the multi-disciplinary task force that works from the moment the assault or abuse is reported right through to the trial phase.
He noted that when he was told that he was getting the award for his work, he was actually surprised.
“It’s not me, it’s the partnerships that we’ve developed and being able to work together to do it,” he said.
WAHS head principal Brandon Pardoe, fellow criminal and non-criminal investigator with Weber in the 2018 Williamsport Area High School Baseball Team trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina investigation has yet to offer public comment on his neighbor retiring.
Little League officials have remained silent on Weber serving as a team host at the Little League World Series previously and moving forward.
This is a developing story on TalkWilliamsport.com.
