Ex-Firefighter to Stand Trial For Child Molestation

A former firefighter charged with must also stand trial for the alleged sexual abuse of two young children related to his ex-wife, a Riverside County judge ruled today.

William Robert Bolduc, 56, could face 60 years to life in prison if convicted of on a child and oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child under 10 years old, as well as a sentence- enhancing allegation that multiple victims were involved.

Superior Court Judge Kelly Hansen, who found there was sufficient evidence to bound Bolduc over for trial, set an April 17 post-indictment arraignment date.

The judge left bail at $3 million for Bolduc, who is being held at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

The prosecution called three witnesses for the hearing -- Murrieta police Detectives Angela Rainey and Jennifer Oster, along with Bolduc's ex- wife, Laura. The defense did not summon any witnesses.

The alleged victims -- whose identities were not released -- came forward roughly a year ago and told  family members that the defendant had molested them when they all lived under the same roof in Quail Valley, near Perris, in 2004 and 2005, according to testimony.

The girl was around 3 or 4 years old at the time, and her brother was 5 or 6, according to the prosecution.

Laura Bolduc testified that she initiated divorce proceedings in 2006 after the defendant became "physically and sexually abusive."

Bolduc, who retired from the Chula Vista Fire Department in 2010 after 18 years on the job, is separately charged with rape of a victim under the influence, sodomy and sexual penetration with a foreign object in connection with an alleged attack on his then-fiancee, whose identity was not released.

The alleged assault occurred on Dec. 9, 2009, after she underwent oral surgery and Bolduc took her back to her Murrieta home, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed by Murrieta police Detective Andrew Dorcas.

The woman had been heavily sedated for the procedure and was barely conscious as the anesthesia wore off over several hours, according to court papers.

Dorcas said she recalled hearing a camera phone clicking and being vaguely aware that her clothes were being removed and put back on again. She told the detective that after awakening, she had pain in several places that suggested sexual activity.

Several days later, the woman took Bolduc's mobile phone to an electronics shop and had two dozen recently erased images restored. According to Dorcas, the photos showed the woman on her stomach, nude, and the defendant allegedly probing her.

If convicted in that case, Bolduc could face a dozen years behind bars. Deputy District Attorney Sean Crandell told City News Service that he may seek to have the molestation and rape cases consolidated.