Local News & NorthwestJanuary 18, 2023

Staff report

The trial for a former Pullman business owner accused of child molestation began Tuesday.

Victor Hudak, 52, faces felony first-degree child molestation in Whitman County Superior Court, according to the county clerk. His bond was set at a $75,000 cash bond or a $750,000 surety, the clerk said. This bond was made when he was arrested in July 2022, and has not been reset since the beginning of the trial.

Hudak was arrested after allegedly touching an 11-year-old girl’s bottom and having an erection, according to Whitman County Superior Court documents. The victim and her 6-year-old stepsister were playing at the Pullman City Playfields when Hudak approached them. The girl knew Hudak as “Vic” from Atom Heart Music in downtown Pullman. They told their parents what had happened and the victim’s father called the police.

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Hudak denied touching the girl’s buttocks and having an erection, according to records. While speaking with police, Hudak said his actions were “out of control” in the summer, referencing other inappropriate interactions with juvenile girls, stated in records.

Hudak pleaded guilty to fourth degree misdemeanor assault with sexual motivation in relation to groping a 14-year-old girl in his music store in 2019, according to records. He was sentenced by Court Commissioner Doug Robinson and served three months in jail.

Atom Heart Music closed last summer after Hudak’s arrest, and he’s remained in the Whitman County Jail.

Jury selection was scheduled to begin Tuesday morning. Around 60 people were summoned for jury duty in Colfax, according to the clerk. The trial is scheduled for multiple days.

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