Paul E. Wiard

A former Claypool man convicted of molesting his own young granddaughter is now serving time in a Florida prison for failing to follow the terms of his plea agreement.

Paul Eugene Wiard, 83, was sentenced in Kosciusko County Superior Court III last June after pleading guilty to a Class C felony charge of child molesting. In agreeing to register as a sex offender, abide by an order that he have no contact with the victim and that he undergo sexual offender counseling, the judge suspended a 4-year prison term and placed Wiard on probation. With the plea, a second Class C felony count of sexual misconduct with a minor was dismissed.

According to court documents the victim said she was approximately 9 years old when her grandfather began molesting her in 2001. She said the incidents would happen three to four times a week until about 2007, but the information was only taken to authorities in 2012.

Shortly after Wiard pleaded guilty to the crime, he moved to Homestead, Fla., but failed to register as a sex offender. On July 30, 2013, some six years after the crime and more than a month after his conviction, Kosciusko County issued a warrant for Wiard’s arrest.

But even before the local warrant was issued, Wiard was arrested in Miami-Dade County, Fla., on July 25. He was picked up there also for failing to register as a sex offender.

Just last month Wiard was convicted in Florida and sentenced to 2 years and 7 months in the Florida Department of Corrections. His projected release date is March 9, 2016.

On April 10, Wiard has another hearing in Miami-Dade County. That hearing is to deal with his extradition back to Kosciusko County where an active warrant, which carries a $50,000 surety bond, remains in effect. Wiard is expected to complete his sentence in Florida before being extradited back to Indiana where he could have his probation revoked and be sent to the Indiana Department of Corrections for the original 4 year sentence.

See related:
Grandfather Pleads Guilty to Molesting Granddaughter
Grandfather Facing Prison for Violating Probation