A 32-year-old Salkum man is facing four felony sexual assault charges in Lewis County Superior Court for allegedly raping a girl repeatedly over the course of four years.
Bail was set at $200,000 on Monday.
The victim was reportedly 9 years old when the abuse began and was 13 years old when charges were filed on Monday.
To protect the identity of the alleged victim, The Chronicle is choosing not to identify the suspect or detail the charges he is facing.
The suspect was arrested after the victim’s mother reportedly caught the suspect in the act of raping the victim, according to court documents.
The mother reported finding the suspect in the victim’s bedroom and said she “screamed,” prompting the suspect to back away, “exposing his genitals and (the victim)’s.” He then reportedly ran out of the house, at which point the victim’s mother called 911.
The victim reportedly disclosed the pattern of abuse to her mother during the ride to the hospital, according to court documents.
When interviewed by law enforcement on April 2, the victim “confirmed she was having sexual intercourse with (the suspect)” and stated “she was not attempting to fight him or push him away since it was a very common occurrence for her,” according to court documents.
The suspect was booked into the Lewis County Jail over the weekend and was charged Monday with two class A felony sex offenses, each of which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and two class B felony sex offenses, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
A no-contact order protecting the alleged victim is in place.
An arraignment hearing was scheduled for Thursday, April 6.
