Bail was set at $50,000 on Thursday for a Centralia man accused of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 15 repeatedly between August 2019 and August 2021.
The abuse was reported to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office in October 2022. The sheriff’s office conducted an investigation and referred charges against the suspect, Robert Daniel Vaughan Jr., 32, to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office.
When questioned, Vaughn allegedly admitted “some inappropriate things occurred between him and (the victim)” and “admitted there were videos and that their messages had ‘gotten weird,’” but he denied sexually assaulting the victim, according to court documents.
He did allegedly admit to some of the sexually abusive actions described by the victim in her reports and he reportedly claimed the victim “‘tried’ to give him oral sex,” according to court documents.
Vaughan was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail on June 7 and prosecutors filed seven rape of a child and child molestation charges against Vaughan in Lewis County Superior Court on June 8.
“These are serious allegations,” Deputy Prosecutor Scott Jackson said of Vaughan’s case on Thursday.
Jackson asked Judge J. Andrew Toynbee to set Vaughan’s bail at $100,000 due to concerns for community safety risk and concerns about the allegation other minor children were present for the alleged abuse of the victim.
Defense attorney Rachael Tiller, however, asked Toynbee to set Vaughan’s bail no higher than $25,000 due to Vaughan’s lack of criminal history, his strong ties to the community, family support and his financial status.
Toynbee opted to set bail between the two requests, at $50,0000.
He additionally approved Jackson’s requests for a no-contact order protecting the victim and conditions of release prohibiting Vaughan from having any contact with minors or going anywhere minors are known to congregate.
Toynbee did allow Vaughan to maintain contact with his own biological children if he is released, “but only under eyes-on supervision,” he said, clarifying that another adult must be present at all times.
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, June 15.
