Authorities ask more victims to come forward in sex abuse case

Hennepin County authorities are asking the public to help them identify any additional people who might have been sexually abused by a former police captain.

William Allan Jacobs, 66, of Deephaven, is charged with criminal sexual conduct for a series of alleged incidents with only one person -- a teenage boy. But on Wednesday, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said authorities think there are more victims.

"We have reason to believe that there have been others, and we want to know about them and we want to add them to that charge," Freeman said.

Authorities are aware of allegations of abuse by Jacobs in the '70s, but Freeman said his office can no longer prosecute any cases before 1984 because of the statute of limitations. Still, investigators want any information they can get about past abuse because it could lead to information about incidents after 1984, Freeman said.

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Authorities said past sex abuse cases have shown that perpetrators often victimize more than one person.

"If it starts, it usually continues until there's dramatic intervention, and in Mr. Jacobs' case it doesn't appear there was any dramatic intervention," Freeman said.

Joe Friedberg, Jacobs' attorney, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Jacobs was jailed in January but was released after posting bail.

Jacobs is a retired captain with the Minneapolis Park Police Department. He's also been a camp counselor and had been a teacher at Breck School in Minneapolis.

Authorities are distributing a series of photos of Jacobs through the years in hopes of reaching victims who have so far chosen to keep quiet.