A 42-year-old Winlock man accused of sexually assaulting two girls under the age of 13 between May 2021 and August 2022 is now facing two felony charges in Lewis County Superior Court related to the abuse.
Both charges are class A felonies with maximum penalties of life in prison.
To protect the identities of the two victims, the Chronicle is not releasing the defendant’s name or the specific charges.
The mother of one of the two victims reported the suspected rape to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office after one of the victims, who was 12-years-old at the time, disclosed information on the abuse, according to court documents.
The mother told detectives “she had her suspicions when (the suspect) offered her $1,000 to bring (the 12-year-old victim) back to his house,” according to court documents.
Detectives identified the second victim, a 10-year-old girl, during the investigation, according to court documents.
The suspect reportedly “appeared nervous, flushed and had red blotchy spots” when law enforcement contacted the suspect in April 2023, according to court documents.
When law enforcement reportedly told him one of the victims had disclosed “some things that were going on” while the victim and the suspect were together, the suspect reportedly “dropped his head” and began cursing.
“According to the report, he didn’t provide any other substantive details,” according to court documents.
As of Friday afternoon, the suspect had been released from Lewis County Jail on $25,000 unsecured bail. His conditions of release include provisions preventing him from having any contact with minors and from going anywhere children are known to congregate, such as parks and schools.
A judge has also issued no-contact orders protecting the two alleged victims.
Arraignment is scheduled for later this month.
