Hunt for possible victims in child-sex case expands

A Lake Tapps pilot who has been charged with numerous child-sex crimes frequently traveled around the country and abroad, prompting investigators to expand their search for potential victims, said a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff's Office.

The FBI is looking into whether there may be other possible victims in places where Weldon Marc Gilbert traveled as a pilot, sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said Monday. Since announcing that Gilbert was charged with nine counts of child-sex crimes on Thursday, sheriff's investigators said they have received about 10 phone calls from possible victims, worried parents and acquaintances of the 47-year-old suspect.

"We've had people call us to report they were victims, they know victims and they are afraid their kids were victims. We are steadily receiving phone calls," Troyer said.

Over the past six years, Troyer said, Gilbert sexually abused and tortured a teen, the youth's brother and possibly nearly 20 other boys.

Gilbert was arrested at an Atlanta hotel Thursday on charges that include child rape, molestation and sexual exploitation of a minor. The pilot had been out of town for work-related training with UPS and will be brought back here by sheriff's investigators Thursday and appear before a judge Friday, authorities said.

Gilbert became the subject of a police investigation last Tuesday, when two men reported that he had molested their two younger brothers, ages 13 and 18.

The 18-year-old told investigators that he met Gilbert after his father died and had been living with the Lake Tapps man for the past several months. He said that since 2001 Gilbert spanked him, leaving welts, cuts and bruises on his body.

Court papers allege that his 13-year-old brother also was spanked and sexually abused by Gilbert.

Detectives who searched Gilbert's home last week seized DVD and VHS videos, floppy discs, cameras, sex toys, paddles, bondage tools, computers and two handguns, according to charging documents. Investigators said they found the videos contained recordings of at least 20 boys and teens, including the two brothers, being sexually abused and spanked. Investigators have not said whether Gilbert sold or shared the pornographic images.

Gilbert, who attended Washington State University but didn't graduate, is president of Spencer Aircraft, a Puyallup-based supply company for pilots and aircraft owners.

For the past two summers he has flown for Seattle's Seafair celebration, including flying event sponsors in a helicopter over the hydroplane racecourse, said Dan Wartelle, Seafair spokesman.

Gilbert did not have access to children or young pilots participating in Seafair, Wartelle said.

Seattle Times staff reporter Christine Clarridge contributed to this report.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294

or jensullivan@seattletimes.com