The investigation involves former pediatrician Michael Wilmington and Chad Hartley, a medical assistant and assistant in Wilmington.
VANCOUVER, Wash. — A third Vancouver man has been arrested in connection with a child molestation investigation. former pediatrician michael wilmington and his colleague Chad Hartley.
The Vancouver Police Department announced Friday morning that they served a warrant at a local residence and arrested 61-year-old William J. Sneiderwine. He is being held in the Clark County Jail on charges of conspiracy to molest a child and tampering with physical evidence.
“The defendant knew that two of his friends served a search warrant on his home last week and then took steps to destroy his own evidence before VPD came to his home yesterday,” Clark County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Laurel Smith said.
The investigation began in February when Vancouver police received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding child sexual abuse material (CSAM) associated with a Vancouver IP address.
On April 29, detectives identified a suspect in the case. A man named Chad Hartleyshe is a medical assistant at PeaceHealth Fisher’s Landing Clinic in Vancouver.
Hartley later came into contact with pediatrician Dr. Michael R. Wilmington, who VPD said has “associations with multiple medical facilities” in the greater Portland-Vancouver area and is employed by Kaiser Permanente’s Salmon Creek Medical Office. Wilmington allegedly spent the night naked with her young children at her home in Las Center.
On May 2, Vancouver police learned Wilmington was found dead of a suicide in Lewis County. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the death investigation.
According to prosecutors, Snyderwin encouraged Hartley to bring a young victim to Wilmington when he introduced the two at a nude bowling event.
Police also discovered an online chat in which Sniderwin allegedly encouraged others to sexually assault their children.
Snyderway had a 1998 conviction in Indiana involving a 14-year-old, according to prosecutors.
The judge set Sneiderwine’s bail at $750,000. He does not yet have a defense attorney and is due back in court on Monday.
Resources for Sexual Assault Survivors
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and needs support, help is available.
- Beaverton Sexual Assault Resource Center: 503-626-9100, located at 4900 Southwest Griffith Drive, St. 135, Beaverton, OR 97005.
- National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673 or rain netOpen 24/7
