A Winlock man has been accused of rape following an alleged assault earlier this month.
Caleb S. Hylton, 24, is charged with one count of second-degree rape (domestic violence), a Class A felony punishable by up to life in prison and $50,000 in fines.
Hylton made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Monday following his arrest on Sunday. He will look to retain private defense counsel.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor Paul Masiello requested a bail of $100,000 cash or bond, given the nature of the allegations, as well as a protection order on behalf of the alleged victim.
Rachael Tiller, Hylton’s attorney for the day, did not object to the protection order, saying it was standard practice, and said Hylton “can and will follow conditions of release.”
“I think that in and of itself should allay any safety concerns that the court may have,” Tiller said.
Tiller cited Hylton’s lack of felony history, convictions, or failures to appear in court, and asked for either an unsecured bond, or else no more than $25,000 in bail.
She noted that family members of Hylton were present in court.
Although he acknowledged Hylton’s lack of criminal history, Judge Paul Strophy cited safety concerns for both the victim and the community, and said a pretrial protection order was not sufficient by itself. He granted the state’s request for the order and the $100,000 bail amount.
As part of his release conditions, Hylton must surrender any firearms within his possession.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office learned of the possible sexual assault on June 25.
The woman reporting the assault told law enforcement she had been raped in Centralia on June 1, after she’d taken pain medication for a back injury before going to bed.
The medication, she reported, had prevented her from moving or staying awake during the alleged assault, though she woke up several times during it, according to the affidavit.
Hylton is scheduled for an arraignment on July 2.
