MENOMINEE — A former Menominee County Sheriff’s officer and school resource officer who has already been found guilty of committing sexual crimes with teenage boys will face a jury later this year, following another victim coming forward with claims of abuse.

Brian William Helfert, age 60, of 1116 17th Avenue in Menominee, is charged with two counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly raping a 13-year-old boy. Each count is punishable by up to life in prison. A trial is set for July 29 through Aug. 2 in Menominee’s 41st Circuit Court.

According to information provided by the Menominee County Prosecutor’s Office, the victim of the sexual assault, who is now 17, was a sixth-grade student at the time of the incident. He knew Helfert through Helfert’s role as a D.A.R.E. officer at the school, where he also served as a school resource or liaison officer and was known as “Officer Brian.”

After running late due to a math test one day in 2017, the student missed school lunch being served. Helfert took the boy to McDonald’s in a fully-marked patrol car and bought the boy lunch through the drive-thru. Helfert then took the boy to his home and invited him inside, where he was sexually assaulted.

The student came forward after other Menominee County students shared similar stories.

In 2020, Helfert was charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct – third degree for allegedly assaulting a Menominee County teen in 2019 in a similar manner. Those charges were pleaded down to a single count of attempted accosting for immoral purposes — a high court misdemeanor. He was sentenced to five years probation.

Last December, Helfert was found guilty by jury of one count of Criminal Sexual Conduct – Second Degree (Weapon Used). The charge was based on an incident that took place between September of 2006 and June of 2008, when the victim was in his mid- to late-teens. Key to the charge was Helfert’s service pistol, which was present during the assault.

Helfter is set to be sentenced on the charge from the December case on March 7.

Helfert was fired from the Menominee County Sheriff’s Department on Dec. 19, 2019, following an investigation for violations of office policies, procedures and rules of conduct. At that point, he has been a school resource officer for more than 16 years.