Man, 78, accused of raping boy in Kennewick

A 78-year-old man is accused of sexually assaulting a grade-school boy for at least four years in Kennewick.

William G. Nicol is charged in Benton County Superior Court with first-degree child molestation and two counts of first-degree rape of a child.

Nicol was scheduled Wednesday to enter a plea in the new case.

However, Kennewick attorney Jim Egan notified the court he has been hired by Nicol, and asked to have the arraignment continued to Dec. 31.

Nicol was arrested Monday and later released from the Benton County jail after posting bond on $10,000 bail.

According to court documents, the boy told a relative earlier this year that he had been sexually abused by Nicol.

The boy then met with investigators and said the abuse started when he was young. He claimed Nicol would touch him inappropriately while the boy was taking a shower, and that escalated to being raped “on many occasions,” documents said.

This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Man, 78, accused of raping boy in Kennewick."