For Immediate Release to the Media
Sheriff William Earl Hilton is inviting the media to a press conference today, January 26th, 2016 at 2pm to
be held in the Rapides Parish Police Jury meeting room on the second floor of the courthouse.
You may set up as early as 1:45 pm.
According to Sheriff Hilton, this is in reference to a 37 year cold case involving criminal sexual conduct
with juveniles allegedly committed by a television personality from a north Louisiana television station.
“As I have stated many times before, there are cases you never forget, some that always are in the back
of your mind that you hope one day to solve. And today, this person has been brought to justice” said
Sheriff Hilton.
This case involved a television personality, Frank Selas, also known by his television name, “Mr.
Wonder”. According to his own application, “Mr. Wonder” would invite children between the ages of 5
and 11, to have free camping weekends and outdoor activities with “Mr. Wonder”. Some of these
weekends were conducted in Rapides Parish in the early summer of 1979. That is when RPSO became
involved in the investigation, along with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office. The Detectives assigned to
that case were then Detective William Earl Hilton and Detective Graham W. Hendricks.
Through leads developed by local USMS Task Force members and Detectives, Selas was taken into
custody without incident yesterday evening near San Diego, California by members of the United States
Marshal Service, Southern District-California, San Diego Fugitive TASKFORCE.
Sheriff Hilton along with Detectives of RPSO Criminal Investigation Division, Rapides Parish District
Attorney Phillip Terral and Sheriff Jay Russell of the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office will be on hand to
answer questions from the media.
The primary reason for this press conference is Detectives believe there are more victims out there,
possibly over several jurisdictions on Louisiana, nationally and even internationally as Selas travelled to
several countries including Japan and Central and South America.
“If there was a definition of a sexual predator, this is one and I am so proud of the work of our
investigators along with the assistance of Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and our local members of the
U. S. Marshals Western District-Louisiana, Violent Offenders Task Force, in locating this suspect after all
these years. We never forget our victims” said Sheriff Hilton.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the RPSO Criminal Investigations Division at 318-473-
6727 or Main Office at 318-473-6700. Please direct any information to Detective Stephen Phillips.
Lt. Tommy Carnline
Public Information Officer
Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office
318 449 5480 (office)
318 308 6594 (cell)
318 449 5466 (fax)
