A Randle man accused of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 12 between 2016 and 2021 is now facing five class A and one class B felony charges in Lewis County Superior Court.
Class A felonies carry a maximum penalty of up to life in prison. Class B felonies carry a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against the suspect, a 37-year-old man, on July 17 following a year-long investigation by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The victim and her family reportedly moved out of state in 2022, at which time the victim reported the sexual assault to a relative, according to court documents.
The Chronicle is not naming the suspect in order to protect the identity of the victim.
The relative reported the sexual assault to Child Protective Services, which initiated an investigation out of state.
The Lewis County investigation began when Child Protective Services forwarded the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office information about “a possible child rape in the Packwood and Randle area” on July 5, 2023, according to court documents.
The victim reportedly told investigators she initially denied the abuse to family members “because she was told by someone if a girl gets raped it is her fault,” according to court documents. The suspect allegedly “told (the victim) to deny it or not tell anyone else, which is why it’s been a secret all this time.”
When questioned by investigators, the man allegedly “denied having an inappropriate relationship (with the victim) and believed these allegations were due to his difficult relationship with (the victim’s mother),” according to court documents.
The man was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail on a $100,000 arrest warrant at about 7 p.m. on Aug. 5, according to jail records.
Judge Joely Yeager ruled to maintain that bail in Lewis County Superior Court on Tuesday, Aug. 6 ahead of a preliminary hearing scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 7.
