SALEM — A Peabody Police officer who pleaded not guilty in November to sexually abusing and showing a young family member pornography, entered the same plea in Salem Superior Court Monday for additional charges of sexually abusing the victim and showing pornography to a second child, according to a spokesperson for Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.
Frederick Wojick, 48, of Danvers, pleaded not guilty in Peabody District Court in November to six counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and one count of dissemination of obscene matter to a minor.
But a Superior Court Indictment against Wojick filed in December lists those charges as well as three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over and a single count of disseminating obscene matter to a minor.
Prosecutor Kate MacDougall told the District Court in November that Wojick inappropriately touched a female child in his family and showed her pornography over a four-year period beginning when she was 10 years old. The new charges indicate the inappropriate touching allegedly continued after the child turned 14, Blodgett’s spokesperson Carrie Kimball-Monahan confirmed.
She said the second count of disseminating obscene matter to a minor involved a second alleged victim.
Wojick pleaded not guilty to all the charges at his arraignment in Salem Superior Court Monday, according to court documents.
Wojick’s attorney Thomas Drechsler could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon. But he told the district court in November that Wojick denies the (original) allegations, which the alleged victim made after Wojick wanted to ban the girl from seeing her boyfriend.
Peabody District Court Judge Matthew Nestor released Wojick, a patrolman with the Peabody Police Department for 12 years, on personal recognizance at his November arraignment.
Salem Superior Court Judge John T. Lu ordered Wojick released on personal recognizance Monday, according to court documents.
Wojick is scheduled to return to Peabody District Court Feb. 12. But Kimball-Monahan said the district court charges against Wojick will likely be dismissed on the date as the case returns to the Salem Superior Court Feb. 26.
Cyrus Moulton can be reached at [email protected].
