Reginald L. Juntunen pleads guilty to child molestation in Lewis County Superior Court.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Winlock man accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl in a Mossyrock area campground restroom pleaded guilty this afternoon following a deal that will give him a sentence of 25 years to life.
Reginald L. Juntunen, 24, was arrested this summer after he was identified through DNA as a suspect in the unsolved case from September 2007.
Juntunen admitted he had sexual contact with the girl when asked by Judge Richard Brosey what he did that constituted first-degree child molestation.
His mother, father and sister left the courtroom without comment after the brief hearing.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office initially charged him with first-degree rape of a child, but altered the allegations early on to include “or in the alternative, first-degree child molestation.”
At the time, Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Joely O’Rourke said it was a precaution in case there were discrepancies in the victim’s statement.
The victim just turned 13.
O’Rourke said it was a good outcome in the case and the girl was “really happy” when she learned he would plead guilty.
Chehalis defense attorney Chris Baum said it’s a stiff penalty, but his client faced the possibility of “quite a bit more time” if he went to trial and lost.
Juntunen also pleaded guilty today to unrelated charges from incidents that took place this year; a burglary and selling stolen jewelry.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12.
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“Suspect pleads not guilty to modified charges in Mossyrock sexual assault of girl” from Friday Aug. 3, 2012, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Hey i grew up with Reggie and I can tell you it had nothing to do with his parents. It was a shock to me when I got back from basic training and find out that he had started using drugs and when I found out about this it was unbelievable. I still don’t know what to think. But those of you blaming his parents grow up cause they are very respectable people.
yea, what’s going on in the prosecutors office that enables these light sentences? Plea deals up the ying yang? Why bother arresting these arse-holes? Free up law enforcement to monitor the lewis county criminal system. Sure crime would be on the low down. Or the uprise as it were……..
“Lala” was trying to paint a pretty picture of Juntunen when the news first broke. Either she painfully learned the truth or realized to stay off the comments section.
Still disgusting that he got such a tiny sentence for his horrible crime. Maybe the family didn’t have the money to fight this one out? I hope that he gets the full 25 years to life deal, though he’s still a pansy for having the charges reduced.
So no protests of innocent from his family and friends that have known him for years? Girl friend started using his last name after his arrest has no comment? Wonder if Children’s services examined her little boy to see if Reggie had contact with him as well when he was living with her. Rats deserted the rat it appears. If the judge had not let him off on his three year felony drug conviction, and given him home monitoring, this crime would not have happened. Parents must be so proud of him and the fact that he did this while in under their legel supervision.
At first I thought “good for him” for pleading guilty, for admitting to the crime. Then I read that he asked for the rape plea to be reduced to “molestation”. So he didn’t really accept responsibility for his actions!
Then, I read that he is in trouble for other incidents this year, and I’m thinkin’, is this the same guy that is such a “great” “church and family” guy? What a load of crock! It’s no wonder that people are leaving the church in droves, we Christians are the best at hurting ourselves – we obviously don’t need help from anyone else!