Did circumciser have more victims?

SPARTA, Mich. (WOOD) - The Sparta man who posed as a doctor and performed an adult circumcision illegally in his home may have more victims, one investigator believes.

On June 9, Thomas Heugel was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty in April to one count of unauthorized practice of a health profession; a felony that could have carried a four-year prison sentence.

The investigator in that case -- Detective Ed Kolakowski, of the Kent County Sheriff's Department -- always suspected there were more victims, he said Tuesday.

24 Hour News 8 obtained a copy of a police report from 1999 where a young man accused Heugel of criminal sexual conduct.

Sheriff's investigators wanted to add those charges to this most recent case, but the statute of limitations had run out. Cases such as these are important, investigators said, because they show a pattern of indecent behavior.

In 1999, Heugel was a supervisor for a work detail program. Young offenders would be assigned to his care to complete jobs in the community, instead of serving jail time.

In a police report, one of the offenders accused Heugel of touching him inappropriately. He says Heugel invited him back to his house and offered him a massage.

Heugel made comments about his pubic hair, grabbed his penis and said he had a good circumcision that wasn't cut back too far, the man alleged. The case was classified as fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

"It appears there were no charges filed in that complaint," Kolakowski said.

He came across the 1999 report and wanted to add it to his case, but was told because the CSC was fourth-degree and not first, the statute of limitations had expired.

Kolakowski was looking for -- and still believes -- Heugel has other victims.

"And maybe with one person coming forward, it might inspire others to come forward as well -- if they were victims of any type of CSC or circumcisions," he said.

After his sentencing, Heugel claimed he was mistreated by investigators.

"What I did was wrong, but I still have civil rights and they were definitely violated," Heugel said earlier this month. "I'm a former police officer myself, and the way the investigation was conducted was very poor and very inappropriate."

Kolakowski disagrees.

"I think the case was investigated as it should have been and was brought forth to the prosecutor and eventually settled in court," he said. "So, I don't think there was any wrongdoing by the sheriff and or the sheriff's department or the detective bureau."

24 Hour News 8 stopped by Heugel's Sparta home to get his reaction to claims of other victims, but was told he wasn't home.

Kolakowski said there is a possibility Heugel can face CSC charges in the future, if more victims come forward.