The Centralia Police Department has arrested a suspect in a series of rapes that occurred more than 16 years before they were reported in August of 2023, the department announced Wednesday.
“The investigation revealed that the alleged victim had been groomed by the suspect beginning at age 9, and by age 10, the suspect had begun to rape the victim. These occurrences continued until the victim was approximately 14 years old,” the Centralia Police Department stated in a news release.
The victim, who is now in their 30s, “detailed what had occurred to them and how the suspect had been a trusted adult in their life” when they reported the rapes in August, according to the news release.
The suspect, identified as Keith H. Adams, 49, of Chehalis, was charged Thursday in Lewis County Superior Court with five counts of first-degree rape of a child and three counts of second-degree rape of a child.
“The allegations are from 20 years ago,” defense attorney Rachael Tiller said Thursday, asking for bail to be set no more than $50,000 due to Adams’ strong ties to the community and lack of criminal history.
“I do acknowledge that he has no prior criminal history and strong ties to the community,” Judge J. Andrew Toynbee said Thursday.
However, Toynbee opted to grant the prosecution’s request of $500,000 bail due to the nature of the allegations and the length of time “this has been under the surface in the community,” Toynbee said.
“The state is very concerned with the nature of the offense and the multiple offenses against this particular victim,” Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said Thursday as reason for the relatively high bail amount.
The Centralia Police Department had probable cause to arrest Adams on Wednesday, Jan. 24, according to the news release.
“In the interview, (the victim) detailed numerous locations in various counties where she was abused by Adams, to include inside vehicles and at different residences,” the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office states in the affidavit of probable cause.
During the investigation, a Centralia detective reportedly “learned that Adams had apparently confessed to his boss that he had engaged in a ‘sexual affair’ with a 14-year-old girl” in December 2008, according to court documents. The Chehalis Police Department helmed that investigation in 2008.
According to court documents, “Adams had told his boss that he was going to turn himself in to the police, but his boss told him to talk to his pastor first.” Adams did allegedly “confess to his pastor, which caused a meeting of several people to take place.”
Because of that “meeting,” court documents state, “it was determined the matter would be handled through the church, and no law enforcement action would take place,” according to court documents.
When interviewed by a Centralia detective in January 2024, Adams’ wife reportedly “said one night, Adams woke up and admitted that he had been ‘unfaithful’ to her with another girl” and said “he was going to talk to their pastor about the situation and do whatever he needed to do.” Adams’ wife told police “when he confessed, she thought it was another coworker, but was ‘shocked’ to learn it was with (the victim),” according to court documents.
According to Adams’ wife, Adams was “kicked out of the church” after that “meeting” in 2008. The victim reportedly attended the meeting, and a Child Protective Services report was made as a result, according to court documents.
When contacted by a Centralia detective, Child Protective Services reportedly confirmed “there was a referral from March of 2008, but that no follow-up was conducted,” according to court documents.
Adams was arrested “without incident” and was booked into the Lewis County Jail for first-degree rape of a child. “After being advised of Miranda warnings, he did not make any statements,” according to court documents.
The Centralia Police Department asks anyone “with information related to this case or any other unreported cases involving Keith Adams” to contact the department at 360-330-7680.
