Accused high school teacher arrested again

By Karen Woodmansee

Appeal Staff Writer

William Beeson, the former Virginia City High School drama and English teacher who was arrested last January on suspicion of sexually abusing a former student, is back in jail.

Beeson, 59, was arrested at 4 p.m. Friday in the 100 block of North B Street, Virginia City, for allegedly violating court-ordered conditions of his release by being in the company of a 16-year-old male described by Storey County Sheriff's Sgt. Ken Quirk as a runaway and incorrigible juvenile.

In January, Beeson was released from custody from the Storey County jail and was ordered by the court not to have any contact with any child under the age of 18 unless another adult is present.

He had been charged on Jan. 29 with one count of suspicion of felony sexual assault of a child under the age of 16, one general count of suspicion of felony sexual assault and one count of suspicion of misdemeanor unlawful conduct with a child.

Beeson was booked into the Storey County jail with a no bail hold for contempt of court by violating conditions of his bail release.

The youth, a Storey County resident, has not been located, and there are no allegations that any sexual assault or activity occurred, Quirk said.

"We are still actively pursuing him (the youth)," he said. "On the 29th he was reported as being a runaway. I have been looking for him since the 29th, and I gathered information this morning that he was at a residence in Virginia City with Bill Beeson."

Quirk said he then secured a warrant for Beeson's arrest.

Beeson's attorney, John Arrascada, could not be reached for comment.