Case against Lake Stevens teacher accused of sex crimes against minors dismissed
On Tuesday a judge dismissed the case filed against a Lake Stevens teacher accused of sex crimes against minors.
The teacher was arrested at Lake Stevens Hight School last week and was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of two counts of fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation, two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, and two counts of communication with a minor for immoral purposes, according to Lake Stevens police.
On Tuesday, a judge granted a motion to dismiss the case without prejudice “for prosecutorial review and refiling.”
The arrest was the result of a long investigation by Lake Stevens detectives, who said the teacher is a Lake Stevens School District staff member and a leader of a local youth group that meets on Friday nights.
According to the Lake Stevens School District, the teacher has been on paid administrative leave since mid-August. District Superintendent Dr. Ken Collins sent out a letter to students and families regarding the arrest.
“We have fully cooperated with the police investigation and the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office throughout this process,” said Collins. “I know that this significantly impacts our Viking community and the Lake Stevens community as a whole. Please know that there are many aspects and details of this investigation that we legally cannot comment on. We are not attempting to hide anything or to minimize the situation. We are simply bound by confidentiality laws.”
Though the police department has not said how many victims may be involved in the accusations, detectives said there may be more victims who have yet to come forward.
Anyone who believes they are a victim or has information that could help the investigation is asked to call the Lake Stevens Police Department at 425-622-9369.
The teacher’s attorney told KIRO 7 that he “has been exceedingly cooperative with law enforcement’s year-long investigation and he adamantly denies any wrongdoing.”
