A 55-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a 10- to 13-year-old girl in Centralia multiple times between 2014 and 2020 is now facing felony charges in Lewis County Superior Court.
The defendant, who is not being named by The Chronicle in order to protect the identity of the victim, was charged Wednesday with two Class A felonies related to the alleged abuse. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office first received about the potential sexual assaults in June 2022, after a relative reported the case to Child Protective Services, according to court documents. The victim reported that “many times after the sexual assaults happened, he gave her money, presumably so that she did not tell anyone.”
In an attempt to balance the man’s lack of felony criminal history with the severity of the allegations, a Lewis County Superior Court judge set the man’s bail at $100,000 during a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
The judge also issued a no-contact order protecting the alleged victim.
The man’s next court appearance is an arraignment hearing scheduled for next Thursday, Aug. 18.
