A jail guard takes Reginald L. Juntunen’s finger prints before leading him out of the courtroom.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Twenty-four-year-old Reginald L. Juntunen told the court he’s truly sorry for molesting an 8-year-old girl before a judge gave the Winlock man a sentence of 25 years to life.
Juntunen was in Lewis County Superior Court this afternoon following a plea agreement that avoids a trial for the girl who is now 13 years old.
His parents, sister, grandmother and friends filled two rows on one side of the Chehalis courtroom while the victim’s father sat in the back in the opposite corner.
Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Joely O’Rourke read a statement from the father, who wrote of the day five years ago in the Mossyrock campground that forever changed the carefree life of his then 8-year-old child.
He thanked Juntunen for not killing her, and for admitting what he did.
“She’s very happy you’ll be going away for a long time, and won’t be able to hurt anyone again,” O’Rourke read.
Reginald L. Juntunen, two years ago at a Christian event
Juntunen was arrested this summer after he was identified through DNA as a suspect in the unsolved case from September 2007. He pleaded guilty last month to first-degree child molestation, for sexually assaulting the girl in a campground restroom.
The plea agreement contained an aggravating factor, that the offense was predatory.
The case was originally charged as rape and numerous related offenses but lawyers on the two sides settled on child molestation, involving sexual contact with the girl.
Defense attorney Chris Baum said told the judge he knew his words wouldn’t change the sentence which is set by statute, but described a client who from the start accepted responsibility for what he did.
Baum said he’s known the Winlock High School graduate for a long time and was surprised by the charges.
“He unfortunately had abused too many drugs and too much alcohol,” Baum said.
Juntunen was enrolled in Lewis County Drug Court when he was charged in the case.
With a box of tissue at his side and with lengthy pauses during which he sniffled, Juntunen spoke of his shame for his behavior and of falling short of his family’s expectations. He kept his back to the courtroom benches and news cameras during the entirety of the hearing.
“As an early teen, I strayed away to a life heavily influenced by drugs and alcohol,” he said. “My morals and values were lost in my addiction.”
He vowed to use his time in prison to better himself.
O’Rourke also read a letter from the victim, in which she described having to stay close to her mom and dad out in public, and her fear of going into a restroom alone.
“Even today, I’m afraid the same thing could happen to me,”Rourke recited. “But at least now I’m more aware.”
Judge James Lawler called the case horrendous, and imposed the sentence of 25 years to life.
During that time, Juntunen will also serve 20 months for a burglary and selling stolen jewelry that occurred this year.
Baum said it will be up to the indeterminate sentencing board if and when Juntunen gets out of prison. He will be on probation for the rest of his life if he gets out.
“He’s gonna do more than 20 years, and then the board will take a look at him,” Baum said.
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For background, read: “Breaking news: Winlock man admits he touched girl in campground restroom” from Friday Nov. 9, 2012, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Troy h<<<<< u should talk
thefatherofthevictim – I can’t imagine what your family has been through, but it sounds like she has a strong support network. I can understand why you would not want to make your little girl go through such a trial. Even when I think of the Phelps trial, that girl was at least a teen and able to walk the court through what had happened, but she was held up by some as a bad girl that was just trying to get Phelps in trouble. Even if Juntunen does deserve to face a rape sentence, you are still protecting your daughter to the best of your ability by not making her have to go to court and get cross examined by a slimy lawyer. My prayers go out for your family – it will be a long road, but I am thankful to hear that you are walking with her.
I believe in the death penalty for crimes like this. Alas, it will never happen. What I hope is that Juntunen gets to experience anal rape a few (hundred) times while in prison. Let’s see how HE likes it. Remorse, my ass (no pun intended). He’d still be out walking free if the DNA hadn’t got him busted. He accepted responsibility because he could not refute the evidence against him. Hundreds of thousands of men use drugs and alcohol, but they don’t molest children and use that as an excuse. If not for the DNA, he would still be out among the public preying on other children. The only life sentence here is the one that little girl got, because she will have to remember this trauma for the rest of her life. My heart goes out to her and her family.
His mother should have been charged as well. He was under home supervision when he did this, he had been convicted of a cocaine felony and was on probation for three years, during which he was supposed to not be using drugs while living at home. Get a lawyer and sue her as well. He has a record of violence going back years, just had his mother to lie for him and get him off. Of course the lawyer knows him, been defending him in court for years.
We could have gone to trial with all of the charges against the defendant. With the trial it would have brought back that horrific day to my daughter she would have had to relive it in front of her attacker as well as an entire court room, when convicted he would have appealed the sentence therefore putting my daughter through another trial and having to relive everything once again. Ms. O’rouke explained all of this to our family and the victim. My daughter chose to take his plea deal sparing her from reliving this nightmare. She was anally raped and not by his fingers… this will be with her the rest of her life but she knows that Reginald will be in prison for a really long time, we were assured nothing less than 25 years and more than likely due to the predatory attack he will do more time. I despise the ground he walks on but I still have my daughter who is dealing with what happened to her and is making the best of each and everyday.
As for Reginald’s teary eyed apology I feel he’s only sorry because he got caught. I do hope he gets help while behind bars.
GGGatsby…”he was not convicted of rape. he did not therefore rape her” …are you serious?? Using that thought process, every time a there is a plea deal and a lesser charge is given–the actual crime didn’t happen?? All those people that were wrongly charged really did do the crimes?(even though years later DNA evidence proved that they didn’t)?
A “deal” was made, they “settled”…that doesn’t change the actual facts of what did happen!
That’s like saying something didn’t happen unless a person is caught and convicted…..
He raped her.
They had his DNA. The prosecutor enjoys giving criminals light sentences.
You sitting there belligerntly calling me names while defending the rapist of a child is disgusting.
“Charging documents in the case allege the child was ANALLY RAPED by a dark-skinned male wearing a hoodie and a stocking cap who forced her into the public restroom….Deputies at the time collected a tissue the girl had wiped herself off with when she returned to the family’s motor home, the documents state.” https://lewiscountysirens.com/?p=13650
“However, count one of first-degree rape of a child was altered earlier this week to include “or in the alternative, first-degree child molestation.”
The difference is penetration or just bodily contact, according to Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Joely O’Rourke.
Juntunen is also charged with first-degree rape, and now, or in the alternative, indecent liberties with forcible compulsion, with a similar distinction. He remains charged with first-degree kidnapping with sexual motivation.
He DENIED to detectives being in the park in 2007 when he was 19 years old.
He pleaded NOT guilty yesterday in Lewis County Superior Court and remains held on $500,000 bail.” Suspect pleads NOT guilty to modified charges in Mossyrock sexual assault of girl
Friday, August 3, 2012 https://lewiscountysirens.com/?p=13802
Breaking news: Winlock man ADMITS he TOUCHED girl in campground restroom
Friday, November 9, 2011
So this guy gets picked up because of DNA from a tissue (what could that have been???) after an ANAL RAPE of a child, denies being there and pleads NOT GUILTY. Because of time and the age of the child, the case gets dropped down to only molesting the girl, and he’s still claiming innocent. Sometime between August and November he decides that maybe he did do it, and pleads guilty. I didn’t track the history of the guy and his lawyer, but the unless he’s admitting to doing the deed to his lawyer, but the lawyer decides to have him plead NOT guilty, someone isn’t accepting their responsibility.
Now “Defense attorney Chris Baum said told the judge he knew his words wouldn’t change the sentence which is set by statute, but described a client who FROM THE START ——– ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY for what HE did.”
BS BS BS BS BS BS BS BS BS!! What was he accepting responsibility for???? He denied to police being there, plead NOT guilty, had charges reduced, and NOW is accepting responsibility? From what start???
ANALLY RAPED AN 8 year old girl! Had she been any younger the child may not have been able to have children! May have killed a smaller child from bleeding!!! Thank God the man didn’t have any STD’s to pass along to a CHILD!
Good gracious Gatsby, just because he’s not CHARGED with RAPE doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen!! Juntunen doesn’t remember because of his RECREATIONAL drugs (or were they Rx?) and in order for the perp to get the max time the prosecuters had to charge him with a lesser crime to get him to serve any time! It’s a shame that others get away with less but don’t discount this slimo’s case because of it.
The Volly Ball Coach got less time than this. He was in a position of power and abused it. In fact several police officer this moth have be convicted of rape and only received 5 year probation sentences. Do think so? then click on my name? The Court system is broken. Take a look at his defense attorny in the picture, looks like he’s happy to see his client getting booked.
OldLongJohnson you obviouslly didnt read the article or the follow the story he was not convicted of rape. he did not therefore rape her people make mistakes your bold statement of what should happen makes you sound stupid which im sure you are, im not saying what this man did was right but taking the rest of his life away while people who have done worse things get away with less is at best a misuse of justice. try to have some compassion for everyone instead of just the ones you think fit your Ego’s needs.
So a 24 year old gets 25 years for molesting a 8 year old girl and a 18 year old the sexually penetrates a 8 year old girl with his fingers gets to plea bargain it down to a 4th degree assault charge and gets a slap on the wrest. That is real fear. Either way the girl is traumatised. I think Lewis County Prosecutor should get it right some time.
24 to life is far too lenient for this kind of trash.
Nothing less than life without parole, sparing a death sentence, would suffice.
No use in this overcrowded and violent world for someone like Juntunen, who feels that it’s perfectly okay to brutally rape an 8 year old for fun in bathroom at Mayfield Lake.
I grew up on the banks of Mayfield Lake. Had it been a different year, that could have been me.