A Chehalis man faces possible life in prison after he was accused of sexually assaulting a child over multiple instances.
Joshua B. Meisenheimer, 48, was arrested Wednesday by the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Lewis County Jail later that day.
Meisenheimer is charged with first-degree rape of a child, first-degree child molestation and other crimes. The Chronicle is limiting details of the case to protect the identity of the victim.
Meisenheimer made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday.
During the hearing, Deputy Prosecutor Brandi Archer requested a bail of $250,000, “given the serious nature of the allegations,” as well as a protection order on behalf of the reported victim.
Defense attorney Rachael Tiller argued for no more than $50,000 in bail, and noted that a civil protection order had already been served to Meisenheimer.
Judge Joely Yeager set bail at $250,000 cash or bond, saying the charges were “very concerning” and posed a risk to both community safety and the safety of the victim.
Yeager granted the state’s request for the criminal no-contact order.
As part of his release conditions, Meisenheimer is prohibited from frequenting locations where minors are known to congregate. He’s also prohibited from having any contact with minor children.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the Chehalis Police Department began investigating the case on June 3 after Child Protective Services reported a child’s allegation of sexual abuse.
The Youth Advocacy Center of Lewis County then conducted a forensic interview of the child. Based on the details of that interview, Chehalis police found probable cause to arrest Meisenheimer. Prosecutors filed charges on Thursday.
Meisenheimer’s next court hearing is scheduled for July 23. He will look to retain private defense counsel.
Meisenheimer has no criminal history, prosecutors said.
