A man accused of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 16 while on a camping trip to the Riffe Lake area in June has been arrested on felony charges.
The Lewis County Prosecutor's Office filed five counts of third-degree rape of a child against Tascino A. Shelton-Higginbotham, 43, of Spanaway, on Thursday, July 25, following a Lewis County Sheriff’s Office investigation that began on July 2 when Good Samaritan Hospital in Parkland and Child Protective Services reported the sexual assault to detectives.
He was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail on a $500,000 warrant just before 8 p.m. on Monday, July 29, according to jail records.
A judge ruled Tuesday to reduce that bail amount.
Shelton-Higginbotham is accused of taking two girls, both under the age of 16, with him on a camping trip to an area near the Riffe Lake Campground in East Lewis County from June 28 to June 29, with the understanding that the girls would share a tent and Shelton-Higginbotham would sleep in his vehicle, according to court documents.
The girls reported that Shelton-Higginbotham instead had one of the girls sleep in his vehicle while he shared the tent with the other girl and allegedly sexually assaulted her, according to court documents.
The victim reported the sexual assault to a family member after they returned from the camping trip on June 29.
When questioned by the victim’s mother about the camping trip before the victim reported the sexual assault, Shelton-Higginbotham allegedly said “he hardly saw the girls” because they were doing other activities and “‘made it clear’ there was a nearby campsite with three teenage boys where he thought the girls spent most of their time ‘hanging out,’” according to court documents.
According to the victim’s mother, Shelton-Higginbotham fled his residence when he learned the victim’s mother had taken the victim to the hospital for a sexual assault exam. He later reportedly returned to his residence to gather his belongings to go stay with a relative. The victim’s mother has since told detectives she “believes Tascino is going to go ‘off-grid.’”
“He’s not a flight risk. He’s lived in the Pierce County, Lewis County area his entire life,” defense attorney Matthrew McGowan said during Shelton-Higginbotham’s preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
Taking into account Shelton-Higginbotham’s long term local residency and his lack of criminal history, Judge James Lawler ruled Tuesday to reduce the bail amount from the $500,000 set in the warrant to $250,000.
Of the need to set a relatively high bail, Lawler said, “These are very serious allegations.”
Arraignment was scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 1.
