How Could You? Hall of Shame-Washington Adoptive Father

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Tenino, Washington,”a judge set bail at $100,000 for a 40-year-old Tenino man suspected of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter and another girl.

The man turned himself in at the Thurston County Jail on Tuesday and appeared before Superior Court Judge James Dixon on Wednesday afternoon. The judge found probable cause for eight charges: two counts of first-degree rape of a child, two counts of first-degree child molestation, two counts of second-degree child molestation, one count of first-degree incest and one count of second-degree incest.

Dixon said that if the man is convicted, he would face a lengthy prison sentence — he could go to prison for the rest of his life.

The Olympian is not naming the man because it could lead to identification of victims.

According to court documents, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office first investigated the man in 2009 when his then 13-year-old adopted daughter said the man made her pose naked, touched her sexually and said he would “viciously rape” her.

The man was interviewed, but the case wasn’t referred to detectives for further investigation, according to court documents.

In December 2015, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and told detectives that they were investigating a possible sexual assault and asked about the 2009 investigation.

Thurston County detectives obtained a recorded statement from Lewis County, in which the suspect said he had legally adopted the girl. He said that when she was 12 years old, he went in her room and began touching her genitals through her clothing, according to court documents.

He said he told the girl, “What I’m doing is wrong. I shouldn’t be doing this, and the only way that it’s going to be stopped is if you stop me.”

The man said he did this about twice a week for about a year and touched her genitals under her clothing, according to court documents.

The victim, now 19, said she had been sexually assaulted by the man on several occasions, and she believed the incidents began when she was 7 or 8 years old. She also said the man once performed oral sex on her, according to court documents.

Detectives identified a second possible victim in Thurston County, who said she had been sexually assaulted by the man when she was 9 or 10 years old. She said she had been at the suspect’s house visiting his son at the time.

The man was convicted of three misdemeanors, the most recent in 1995.”

Bail Set at $100,000 for Tenino Man Suspected of Sexually Assaulting Adopted Daughter [The Chronicle 2/12/16 by Amelia Dickson]

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