Lake Tapps man arrested on charges he raped, molested young boys

Pierce County Sheriff's detectives have seized numerous videotapes, cameras, sex toys, blindfolds, ropes and paddles from the lakefront home belonging to a Lake Tapps pilot in a sex-abuse investigation involving at least 20 young boys.

Weldon Marc Gilbert was arrested Thursday at a hotel in Atlanta, Ga., on nine charges including child rape and molestation involving two brothers — and more charges are likely once investigators identify additional victims captured on videos found in Gilbert's home, according to Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer. Gilbert is in custody in Atlanta, pending his extradition back to Washington.

Pierce County prosecutors filed nine criminal charges against Gilbert on Thursday and a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to court records. Gilbert — a pilot for United Parcel Service who also co-owns an aviation company called Lake Tapps Flyer — was arrested by FBI agents and Atlanta police at a Hilton Hotel, where he was staying while getting training related to his job with UPS.

Detectives began investigating Gilbert after two adult brothers contacted the Sheriff's Office last week, concerned their younger brothers were being molested by the 47-year-old, charging papers say. The alleged victims are now 18 and 12. The older brother had apparently been living with Gilbert for the past several months and told investigators Gilbert had been abusing him since March 2001, charging papers say.

The 18-year-old told detectives he first met Gilbert when he was 12, shortly after his father died. He often went to Gilbert's home and accompanied him on trips to Hong Kong, Thailand and Europe, charging papers say. Gilbert, "regularly and frequently" spanked the 18-year-old — leaving welts, cuts and bruises on his body — and engaged in sex acts, often videotaping the abuse, according to court documents. Gilbert allegedly paid the 18-year-old for the spankings.

According to charging documents, the 18-year-old said Gilbert "had been showing some interest in his 12-year-old brother" and he told Gilbert to stay away from the younger boy. But the 18-year-old's older brothers unknowingly brought the 12-year-old to Gilbert's house on Oct. 29. The 18-year-old gave detectives a video showing Gilbert abusing both brothers, the papers say.

Detectives executed a search warrant at Gilbert's house on Tapps Island, which overlooks Lake Tapps, seizing videotapes, CDs, DVDs, floppy disks, spanking devices, bondage implements, computers and two handguns, charging papers say. Detectives say at least 20 different victims are depicted on the tapes.

Troyer said police believe Gilbert used a helicopter to give rides to some of the boys, who range in age from 12 to 17. Afterward, Gilbert would take them to his house, get them intoxicated, tie them down, beat them and perform sexual acts on them with a video recorder rolling.

According to Federal Aviation Administration records, Gilbert is a licensed transport pilot with commercial privileges allowing him to fly single-engine seaplanes and helicopters; his license as a flight instructor appears to have expired in July. Gilbert is the registered owner of a Cessna A185E, FAA records show.