St. Simons Island Man Accused of Exposing Himself to Two Young Children at Coast Guard Beach

A man was taken into custody at Coast Guard Beach on St. Simons Island on Sunday after two children, ages 8 and 9, told officers that an adult male had exposed himself to them on the beach. William Walter Frick now faces two counts of child molestation, and police say additional charges may still be filed as the investigation continues.

According to WSB-TV, beach patrol officers were already on duty at Coast Guard Beach when they received a report of suspicious activity involving a man and a child. Officers located Frick as he was leaving the beach area and took him into custody. As reported by First Coast News, officers were directly approached by a visitor about the activity before they identified and detained Frick.

Forensic Interviews and an Active Investigation

Glynn County Police Department detectives conducted forensic interviews with the two child victims to gather formal statements, a standard step in cases involving young witnesses, per News4JAX. The department says the investigation remains active, and officials have not ruled out additional charges as more evidence comes in. Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed suspicious activity at Coast Guard Beach on Sunday to call the Glynn County Police Department's non-emergency line at (912) 554-3645.

What Georgia Law Says About the Charges

Under Georgia Code § 16-6-4(a), the felony offense of child molestation covers any immoral or indecent act — including public exposure — committed in the presence of a minor under 16 with intent to satisfy sexual desires, whether or not physical contact occurred, according to J. Ryan Brown Law. That statutory language is why exposing oneself to children can be prosecuted as child molestation rather than a lesser indecent-exposure offense.

A first-time conviction for felony child molestation in Georgia carries a prison sentence of 5 to 20 years, along with mandatory sex offender registration within 72 hours of release, per Kohn & Yager. Because the charges involve a serious child sex offense, Frick would not receive automatic bond in magistrate court; defendants facing such charges in Georgia must instead file a formal motion in Superior Court or negotiate a consent bond with the District Attorney, according to Georgia Criminal Lawyer.

A Heavily Trafficked Beach Mid-Renovation

Coast Guard Beach Park is one of the primary public beach accesses on St. Simons Island and is currently the subject of a $7 million Glynn County renovation project upgrading parking, bathhouse facilities, and public recreational access, according to county planning records reviewed via Glynn County OpenGov. The Georgia Shore Protection Committee approved environmental permits for those changes in March 2025 despite pushback from local conservation groups worried about dune and wetland impacts, as reported by The Current.

Golden Isles tourism and public safety guidance for Glynn County's public beaches emphasizes an active law enforcement presence to uphold local ordinances and protect families along the shoreline, a posture that put officers on the scene at Coast Guard Beach in time to respond to Sunday's report.

Part of a Pattern of Local Child Exploitation Cases

This is not the first child exploitation case Glynn County police have handled in recent years. In September 2024, a St. Simons Island resident was sentenced to over 6 years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material, following an investigation assisted by the Glynn County Police Department. The Frick case adds to a string of active criminal investigations the department has pursued this year, including probes into two separate bodies found in the county since July.