St. Clair County Prosecutor Robert Cleland gave Frank Shelden a “pass” in 1977, but he did what he could with pedophile teacher Paul J. Wadaga in 1988. No one would testify against this teacher, who is said to have molested at least 18 boys over the prior 18 years. The man resigned from his teaching position and, because of course he had been involved as a volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, he made it in to the group’s “perversion” files. Scroll down the link to see the 1988 news article from the Port Huron Times-Herald (photo, too).
What do you think the odds are that Peter Wadaga never offended again after he moved on from Port Huron?
Wadaga was described as a “tidy perfectionist, who never married” by someone who remembered him. He also taught catechism. Had a twin brother Peter (retired hair dresser, never married), father was Frank. After moving from Port Huron he worked at a funeral home for a time.
There were so many pedophiles in Michigan during the time of the OCCK crimes, it is hard to know who was a child rapist/child pornmeister, and who could have been a participant in something far more sinister and evil. But this was Port Huron, home base for pedophile Gerald Richards and a place pedophile/child porn purveyor Frank Shelden often frequented. It makes you wonder if, given this man’s history, anybody thought to ask him about the OCCK. Of course at that point, police could apparently not wrap their minds around the “team killing” concept, and looked away if someone had an alibi for any of the relevant time periods involving the four kids or if he didn’t drive a blue Gremlin. The pressure was off and nobody really gave a damn any more. Any alibi will suffice.
Pedophiles and child porn users don’t wear a scarlet letter “P” on their attire. Sex offender registries did not exist in 1988. Pedophiles are teachers, cops, investigators, priests, senators, architects, art dealers, gymnastic coaches, assistant prosecutors, chiropractors, doctors. They come from all walks of life but all are dangerous manipulators, even the old ones. My guess is that most of them reoffend even after prison sentences and that they never “age out.”
A reader who had crossed paths with this pedophile called the fake OCCK tip line about Paul Wadaga. No one ever returned the call.