UPDATE: Four new victims have come forward in the case of a Wentzville plumber that allegedly used his business to to find victims.
Daniel Hallmark, 54, was charged with 11 new counts — including two counts of forcible sodomy and three counts of statutory sodomy — based on the information from the four new victims.
According to police, one of the victims has autism and two of the victims were minors.
The 18-year-old man with autism was victimized while working for Hallmark's company and staying with Hallmark. Police said Hallmark drugged the victim, and the victim said he woke up the next morning naked and not remembering what happened the night before.
Police believe there are more victims. They are asking anyone with information to call Wentzville Police. Investigators working the case are Sgt. Cindy Aubuchon at 636-639-2129 and Det. Andy Wessel at 636-639-2122.
Previous story
From small business owner to accused pedophile — Wentzville police are looking into the history of a man charged with sex crimes against a 13-year-old boy.
He owned a plumbing business, and that's how police believe he found many of his victims.
Police say Daniel Hallmark, 54, the owner of Hallmark Plumbing, offered jobs, money and gifts to young boys as part of his plan to eventually sexually abuse them.
Charges filed this week accuse 54-year-old Hallmark of finding his 13-year-old victim in a Wentzville Walmart parking lot in 2014.
“He befriended the mother and the young man and offered him a job with his company. He was very insidious. He wormed his way in over a period of time,” said Major Paul West with the Wentzville Police Department.
Once that trust was gained, police say he sexually abused the 13-year-old victim after giving him alcohol.
“He was interested in young men aged 12 to 18. He would then befriend them and bring them back to his home at some point and we believe that's where most of the abuse occurred,” said West.
Pictures of young males found in Hallmark's home also led police to believe there are more victims between the ages of 12 and 18 waiting to be found.
“He had a GPS where he marked a number of locations. We were able to go there and develop a number of leads from that,” said West.
Fueling fears that there may be more victims: Hallmark's address. Police say he lived just down the street from Heritage Elementary School. Hallmark’s previous address in St. Charles was also close to Coverdell Elementary.
Hallmark's business had an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, and he himself had no criminal history — making it all the more important, police say, for parents to be vigilant.
“I don't think this is a thing that runs rampant. You have to be cautious who your children have contact with, whatever the situation,” said West.
Hallmark is currently in custody on a $50,000 bond.
Police believe more charges related to other victims in this case will be handed down shortly.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Wentzville Police Department investigators working on this case: Sgt. Cindy Aubuchon at 636-639-2129 or Det. Andy Wessel at 636-639-2122.
Photos: 2016 STL area mug shots
