A former Tacoma-area doctor and U.S. Army colonel pleaded guilty Wednesday to two felony sex offenses for trying to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.
Jeffrey Scott Kunz, 47, pleaded guilty to second-degree child molestation and attempted sexual abuse of a minor in Pierce County Superior Court. He will be required to register as a sex offender, according to the Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors and the defendant's attorney agreed to recommend that Kunz be sentenced to 31 months in prison. He was taken into custody after pleading guilty and placed on a no-bail hold. His sentencing hearing was set for Nov. 1.
Kunz was working as a cardiologist for MultiCare Health System when charges were filed in January 2023. He resigned from his position Jan. 25, 2023, according to Scott Thompson, a spokesperson for the health care organization. Thompson said Kunz did not work for one specific hospital but did most of his work out of Tacoma General Hospital.
Kunz previously worked as chief of Cardiology Services at Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord as recently as 2019 when he held the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was later promoted to colonel. A spokesperson for I Corps did not immediately have information Wednesday about when Kunz started at the hospital or left.
He remains licensed as a physician and surgeon, according to the State Department of Health, and no disciplinary action has so far been taken. A spokesperson for the Washington Medical Commission said that per state law, it is considered uprofessional conduct if a practicioner is convicted of or pleads guilty to a felony or gross misdemeanor.
"The WMC has received four complaints against Jeffrey Scott Kunz regarding the same incident that have been on hold awaiting court judgment and sentencing paperwork," Stephanie Mason said in an email. "Upon the finalization of the convictions, the WMC will proceed with filed complaints and the investigation process."
Kunz was ensnared in a sting operation conducted by the Washington State Patrol's Missing and Exploited Children Task Force, according to court records. Detectives posted advertisements seeking individuals who were interested in sex with minors. According to charging documents, Kunz texted a phone number advertising on a website commonly used for prostitution 10 times between Nov. 22, 2022, and Jan. 19, 2023, before an undercover officer responded.
The two communicated about sex services, and the undercover officer informed him that she was 13, according to the probable cause document. Kunz initially responded, "What!?", to the girl's age and asked if she was a cop but then agreed to pay $300 to meet her at a hotel Jan. 20, 2023, in South Tacoma.
That morning, Kunz walked into the hotel on South 48th Street and knocked on the door he'd been directed to. The undercover officer, a detective and an FBI agent then approached him and placed him in handcuffs.
In an interview with detectives, Kunz reportedly said he was not going to have sex with the 13-year-old girl he'd been communicating with and was only looking for companionship. He had $300 on his person and acknowledged having a sexualized conversation but said he wasn't going to go through with it.
The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged him three days later with second-degree attempted child rape, attempted commercial sexual abuse of a minor and communication with a minor for immoral purposes.
At his plea hearing Wednesday, deputy prosecuting attorney Derek Keenan told Judge Philip Sorensen that prosecutors wished to amend the charges due to the risks of proceeding to trial on the original charges and based on negotiations between the Prosecutor's Office and Kunz's attorney, Brett Purtzer.
The child molestation charge is considered a most serious offense, Sorensen said. If convicted of another such sex offense, Sorensen said Kunz would face a sentence of life in prison without opportunity of parole, per state law.
Purtzer noted that Kunz's "entire family" was in court, including his parents and sister who had traveled from Texas.
After Sorensen asked Kunz standard questions about whether he understood the rights he waived by pleading guilty, the judge asked Kunz how he pleaded to each charge.
"Guilty, your honor," Kunz said to each.
After the hearing concluded, Kunz hugged his family members in the courtroom gallery. A deputy entered the courtroom, placed him in handcuffs and led him out of the room.
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