More Charges Surface In Bethel Child Abuse Case

Peter Tony, a 69-year-old Bethel resident, and former foster parent, is facing more charges of sexually abusing minors.

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Tony is already in jail on seven counts of sexual abuse of a minor. Now, a Bethel grand jury indicted him on three more similar counts.

The first victim was a 4-year-old who was allegedly abused for the span of about a year.

This new victim was allegedly abused in 1998. That’s the same year that the Peter Tony’s foster license, with his wife Marilyn, was revoked by the Office of Children’s Services, after 14 years of being foster parents. According to Bethel police, a year prior, a victim had filed allegations of abuse with OCS. OCS hasn’t said why the Tony’s lost their license in 1998 and say they are looking into the case.

After losing their license, the Tony’s opened a small, in-home daycare, which they ran until a few years ago.

Peter Tony’s step daughter, Kimberley Bruesch, has come forward saying she was abused by Tony when she was 8. She’s now 48 years old, living in Ketchikan. She says her two sisters, who committed suicide as adults, were also abused by Tony as children. Bruesch can’t press charges because the statue of limitations has run out for her.

All 10 charges against Tony are Class B felonies. Bethel police, who have been investigating the case, say that victims could go back to the 1970s.

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