A 49-year-old member of the Nisqually Indian Tribe was indicted by a grand jury this week for three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced Friday.
Marcus Jerome Douglas was arrested on a criminal complaint on Jan. 31, according to a news release. Douglas remains detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac. He will be arraigned on the indictment next week.
According to records filed in the case, three victims have disclosed sexual abuse by Douglas at times when he had access to them. Some of the victims report long-time abuse from a very young age.
Because Douglas is a tribal member and the abuse occurred in residences on tribal land, the case is being investigated by the FBI and the jurisdiction is in federal court, according to a news release.
Sexual abuse of a minor is punishable by a mandatory minimum 30 years in prison to life in prison.
The FBI investigation is ongoing, and investigators are interested in speaking with any additional victims or witnesses who should call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Olympia Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cecelia Gregson and Kristine Foerster.
