A 35-year-old Salkum man accused of sexually abusing his daughter was arrested last week and charged with eight felonies in Lewis County Superior Court.
The alleged victim is 14 years old and told law enforcement the abuse began two years prior, when she was 12.
The Chronicle is choosing not to identify the defendant or specific charges in order to protect the identity of the victim.
According to law enforcement, the victim disclosed the abuse after a family friend “noticed that she would be in her dad’s room late at night” and told her “to let (the friend) know if anyone ever touched her.”
The victim reportedly told law enforcement the defendant “had firearms, had a temper and can become violent,” adding she was worried he “would try to pull a firearm on law enforcement when contacted,” according to court documents.
Law enforcement personnel who contacted the defendant reportedly noted “his demeanor was strangely calm and quiet while being advised of the basis for contact,” adding that he “avoided eye contact and would answer questions with only ‘no’ or ‘I don’t know.’”
The defendant reportedly denied all allegations but allegedly “did acknowledge that while he and his daughter were lying in bed together, she might have gotten the wrong idea, but quickly said ‘nevermind’ and didn’t want to say anything else,” according to court documents.
The defendant was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail the same day as that initial contact.
Of the eight felony sexual abuse charges the defendant faces in Lewis County Superior Court, two are class B felonies, each with a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison; and six are class C felonies, each with a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.
