Nickolas Hardman Schmitt makes an appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon at the Lewis County Law and Justice Center in Chehalis.
A Randle resident charged Tuesday on suspicion of rape and assault charges is being held on $150,000 bail in the Lewis County Jail.
Nickolas J. Hardman Schmitt, 21, was arrested at 6:52 p.m. Tuesday, according to Lewis County Jail records.
He was charged Wednesday in Lewis County Superior Court with two counts of third-degree rape for two incidents between July and November of 2015, second-degree assault with sexual motivation for an incident in November 2015, and felony communication with a minor for immoral purposes for incidents between October 2015 and January 2016.
Hardman Schmitt is accused of raping and assaulting a 19-year-old woman he was in a relationship with in the 200 block of Silverbrook Road in Randle.
He is also accused of communications over social media with a 13-year-old girl who told investigators Hardman Schmitt asked her to be “friends with benefits,” according to court documents.
Lewis County deputy prosecutor Sara Beigh asked for $150,000 bail Wednesday, citing the severity of the allegations.
“The state’s concern here is community safety,” she said.
Defense attorney Joely O’Rourke, representing Hardman Schmitt for his first hearing, asked for bail at $10,000, saying the risk to the community could be mitigated with protection orders.
Lawler disagreed, and set bail in accordance with the prosecution’s request. He also imposed sexual-assault protection orders and ordered Hardman Schmitt to stay away from areas where children congregate if he posts bail.
On Feb. 8, Deputy Tim English with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office responded to White Pass High School for a reported rape. School staff showed him Facebook posts by Hardman Schmitt that reportedly involved students at the school.
The alleged victim of the rape, 19, told deputies that Hardman Schmitt strangled her once and sexually assaulted her on two occasions while they were in a dating relationship, according to court documents.
Through the investigation, English learned that Hardman Schmitt might have been corresponding over social media with a 13-year-old girl. English interviewed the girl, who told him Hardman Schmitt asked her to have sex with him, according to court documents.
Hardman Schmitt was originally charged Tuesday in Lewis County District Court with a gross misdemeanor charge of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes. It was dismissed in District Court and recharged as a felony in Superior Court along with the other charges Wednesday.
Deputies are continuing to investigate Hardman Schmitt’s relationships with other women, according to court documents.
