Bail is set at $50,000 for an Ocean Shores man accused of twice raping a 14-year-old girl he met on a teen dating site in Onalaska in 2023.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the sexual misconduct after the victim “became emotionally upset and had written her parents a ‘confession’ letter detailing her relationship with a 33-year-old man’” in December 2023, according to charging documents filed in Lewis County Superior Court. The victim’s parents reported the letter to law enforcement.
The victim reportedly met the man, who has since been identified as Shea Connor McDaniel, 34, via a teen dating site. His profile showed that his name was “Shea McDan” and that he was 16 years old.
“They spoke for the next several months and evolved into speaking over Instagram and eventually exchanging phone numbers,” according to court documents. “He appeared older than 16 and Shea eventually told (the victim) he was actually 23 years old, and later confided he was really 33 years old.”
The victim reported that “they had talked about her being 14-years-old and he was OK with her age,” according to court documents.
The two reportedly met twice in Onalaska in 2023, once in May and once in September. He allegedly raped her during both meetings.
They later “broke up,” at which time the victim “deleted all the conversations she had with him,” according to court documents.
After identifying “Shea McDan” as McDaniel via a photo montage shown to the victim, detectives contacted McDaniel at his Ocean Shores residence on July 18, 2023, according to court documents.
McDaniel allegedly told detectives “he had ceased all communication with (the victim) after he found out she was a minor.” He allegedly later “admitted that he continued to speak with her and eventually went to Onalaska to meet up with her,” according to court documents. He allegedly confirmed details about the sexual assault that were consistent the victim’s account.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office filed three counts of third-degree rape of a child against McDaniel in Lewis County Superior Court on Sept. 16. A $100,000 arrest warrant was issued that same day.
McDaniel was arrested on that warrant and booked into the Lewis County Jail at 3:40 p.m. on Oct. 29, according to jail records.
“The state believes that this predatory conduct is very concerning,” Deputy Prosecutor Brandi Archer said of the allegations on Wednesday, asking the court to maintain the $100,000 bail set in the arrest warrant.
Due to McDaniel’s support from family in the courtroom and McDaniel’s lack of criminal history, Judge J. Andrew Toynbee ruled Wednesday to reduce McDaniel’s bail to $50,000, “Which is still a substantial amount of bail,” Toynbee said.
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 7.
A no-contact order protecting the victim is in place.
