Ex-police chief started molesting teen when she was 8 years old, Texas Ranger says
The former Hamilton police chief wrote to a 15-year-old girl saying, “U wanna rub mine again,” and performed sex acts on the teen every morning for the last several weeks, according to an affidavit.
Anthony “Tony” Yocham, who was fired after his arrest over the weekend, began sexually abusing the girl when she was 8 years old in Somervell County, the court document says.
Yocham, who is married, conversed with the girl through Instagram, where authorities found inappropriate messages between the two, according to the probable cause affidavit obtained Tuesday by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The most recent sexual abuse occurred Sept. 8, when Yocham was still police chief in the city of Hamilton in Hamilton County, according to the affidavit in support of his arrest. Hamilton is about 100 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Hamilton County is near Somervell County.
Yocham was arrested Saturday by Texas Rangers and faces a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a young child. He was released over the weekend after posting $500,000 bond.
Yocham could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
On Monday, Hamilton Mayor Jim McInnis said Yocham was no longer the police chief of the Hamilton department.
The affidavit written by Texas Ranger B.J. Hill gave this brief account of the alleged crimes:
On Sept. 8, officials with the Somervell County Sheriff’s Office talked to a man who made a sexual abuse complaint against Yocham involving a 15-year-old girl.
The man reported he had found graphic Instagram messages between the teen and Yocham that indicated they were having some type of sexual contact. Investigators obtained screenshots of the messages. One Instagram message that Yocham sent read, “U wanna rub mine again....”
Hill, the Texas Ranger, met with investigators of the Somervell County Sheriff’s Office on Friday as officials with the Paluxy River Children’s Advocacy Center in Granbury conducted an interview with the teen.
The teen said that Yocham had been touching her breasts and genitals over her clothing since she was 8 years old. The last time was on Sept. 8.
At various times through the years, Yocham performed sex acts on her, according to the affidavit.
At about 5 a.m. on Sept. 8, Yocham entered her room and began performing a sex act on her, but she forced him to stop, causing him to become upset. Yocham left the room and sat on a couch, followed by the teen who apologized for her behavior, according to the affidavit.
During this time, Yocham instructed the teen to perform a sex act on him, the affidavit says.
