A 19-year-old Vancouver man has been charged for allegedly raping a 14-year-old Mossyrock girl in January.
Haydn Matthew Gerard Wurzer faces one count of third-degree rape of a child, a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines, for allegedly having sex with the victim after she reportedly snuck him into her home on Jan. 5, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The incident was initially reported to the Longview Police Department, which turned the case over to local authorities. When contacted by police, Wurzer allegedly admitted to having sex with the victim and reportedly stated that he had known the victim for several years.
At the time of the incident, Wurzer was 18 years old and the victim was 14. A third-degree rape of a child charge requires the victim to be between 14 and 16 years old and at least 48 months younger than the defendant. In this case, the age difference between the victim and the defendant is approximately four years and eight months.
Wurzer responded to a court summons for his preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on March 23, where Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher requested that Judge J. Andrew Toynbee set bail at $20,000 unrestricted, meaning that Wurzer remains out of custody and does not have to pay any of the bail amount unless he misses a mandatory court appearance, at which time he could be arrested and owe up to the full bail amount.
“The state is inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt,” said Meagher, citing Wurzer’s lack of felony history in Lewis County.
Wurzer was convicted on a sex offense in 2015 as a juvenile and is registered as a Level 1 sex offender in Cowlitz County.
Toynbee granted Meagher’s bail request, and additionally granted release conditions prohibiting Wurzer from having contact with minors and from going to places where minors congregate.
Wurzer’s next court appearance is an arraignment hearing scheduled for April 1.
