A former sheriff’s deputy and police officer in Washakie County, Wyoming, is facing two felony sex charges on claims he sexually abused multiple children.
Myron Chatwin could face up to 40 years in prison and $20,000 in fines if convicted on both counts. He was charged Monday in Worland Circuit Court.
Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) agents took up the investigation Dec. 5, after the Worland Police Department sent DCI an email saying a young child had disclosed several allegations of inappropriate sexual contact to a counselor.
After this, other children came forward, one reporting abuse that happened as early as age 6, according to the evidentiary affidavit filed in the case.
The children who came forward after the first one described Chatwin’s tactics of inappropriate touching in the same wording the first child had used, the affidavit says.
DCI agents even asked questions using different wording, and one of the children corrected them, referring to the alleged tactics using the same language the first child had used, says the document.
Chatwin, who was held recently in the Hot Springs County Detention Center, did not immediately return a voicemail request for comment.
The jail said Chatwin was no longer in its custody as of Thursday.
No Longer A Deputy
Chatwin was a detention deputy for the Washakie County Sheriff’s Office for just over a year, and transitioned to the Worland Police Department in November, Washakie County Sheriff Austin Brookwell told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday in response to an email request for comment.
“At my request, following his arrest by DCI, Mr. Chatwin was housed in Hot Springs County to avoid any potential complications arising from his prior association with our facility,” said the sheriff.
“Given his status as a former employee, the Washakie County Sheriff’s Office has had minimal interactions with this case,” Brookwell said, noting that DCI has been handling the investigation.
The Worland Police Department did not immediately respond Thursday to an email and voicemail request for comment.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
