Erin Stiebritz waits her turn to go in front of a judge this afternoon at Lewis County Superior Court.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A 36-year-old woman accused of having sex in her office at Green Hill School with a student-inmate was arrested yesterday and charged today with a felony.
Erin Stiebritz, who also goes by the last name of Snodgrass, worked as a counselor at the state institution in Chehalis.
Prosecutors allege the two had a sexual relationship during the latter half of 2014, before Stiebritz was placed on an alternative assignment based on allegations of inappropriate behavior with students, especially the alleged victim.
A detective with the Washington State Patrol investigated the case during 2015.
Stiebritz denies the allegations.
She was booked into the Lewis County Jail yesterday and brought before a judge late this afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court. She is charged with first-degree custodial sexual misconduct.
Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Kevin Nelson asked she be held on $25,000 bail, citing community safety concerns.
Defense attorney Joely O’Rourke told the judge she didn’t see that as an issue, as the alleged victim was 18 and the relationship alleged was consensual.
Judge James Lawler set bail with a $25,000 unsecured bond.
It’s not clear if Stiebritz is still employed at Green Hill.
Her court documents show she resides in Centralia but court documents in another case describe her as living in Cinebar with her husband in early 2015.
Charging documents give the following account of the investigation:
In February of last year, employees at Green Hill intercepted a letter suspected to be from Stiebritz to the student-inmate, detailing a sexual relationship.
A detective contacted the postmaster in Chehalis and confirmed the return address was a post office box she had rented two days after she was reassigned to a new position.
The student-inmate’s room was searched and approximately 30 letters and cards were found, with the same return address, discussing their relationship.
“A few of the letters describes how there is a pregnancy and (the student-inmate) is the father,” Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead wrote in the court documents.
In July, the detective interviewed her and she denied a relationship, writing the letters and renting a post office box.
The detective was able to listen to phone conversations made by Stiebritz to a different inmate at Walla Walla State Penitentiary during 2015 in which she allegedly spoke of the relationship and the post office box. The other inmate knows the alleged victim.
Two days before Christmas, the detective interviewed the alleged victim at Green Hill School, and he stated they had sex a few times in her office inside the Green Hill facility.
He told the detective initially she was helpful and concerned about him, but once he turned 18, she began to pursue him in a sexual manner.
Green Hill is run by the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration, which is part of the Department of Social and Health Services. It’s a medium to maximum security fenced facility that provides older, male offenders education and vocational training.
First-degree custodial sexual misconduct is a class C felony, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Stiebritz’s arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 21.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Thanks, U stupid judgemental asses…that really cleared this up for all of us. Best-written post on this site in eons. Keep up the good work.
Hey this is completly stupid we all no fr did it who cares people me and wemon do wht they what and hae te choice to legally at the age of 18 the only reason it was illegal was because he was locked up just the same as any person who get sent to a doc as an adault he just was in a juvinile prison. If u r in prison u can not legally give consent no matter how old u r so the ony wrong or so called “illegal” thing she did was fucking a dam criminal that was liked up…sory if u guys don’t like the fact the idc how old she was he was fucking 18 years old so who gives a fuck
Crazyman,
Please go to Centralia College and apply for a grant. You need English classes.
There used to be a time when it was a honor to be with a older women but unfortunately we have little snowflake mothers are tilling their kid witch are making poor little 18 yr old babies if he can join the armed forces he can have sex no longer is there prisoners who don’t tell they’re soft punks
Notice the green house has no plants in it. A perfect learning tool not being used. Our correction system is a crime school.
I used to work at Green Hill, while this investigation was in fact going on. I witnessed this women trying to call the resident in his home unit while she was working in master control. She is disgusting along with 75% of the other counsellors, security officers, supervisors, program managers and associate superintendents. Green Hill School is a joke run by the state and its clown John Clayton. He wants to take all the fences down and doesn’t understand why the furniture is bolted to the floor in the living units.
Screw is right!!
LMAO!!
Dirty cops, dirty state workers. As soon as you give anyone power over another person abuse happens its human nature. The system is broken and its out in the open yet we cannot fix any of the corruption problems. I guess the Sea Hawks are more important that public official corruption. No wonder fluoride is Centralia’s drink of choice it keeps the population docile.
She’s innocent until proven guilty, but if she is guilty, what kind of perverted woman takes advantage of the people she’s supposed to be helping.
uhhh screw the haters, you state:”Just another case where they are quick to slander her name and go off an inmates word!”
did you read the story? cause it says that there has been a lengthy investigation for some time and money and man power has been spent on the investigation to find out from the post master that she was the owner of the post office box that the sexual letters were getting a return address sent to. also the recorded phone call of her talking about her activities with the victim and them being of a sexual nature.
did you read it though
Its not her child Bob, its a grandchild.
What a embarrassing disgrace. Screw the haters, are you really that dumb?? This was a 14 month investigation, look at the evidence, Erin was her own worst enemy…
A pregnancy? She has pics of her and a baby on Facebook…paternity test will be proof of guilt or innocence.
Oh really. Inmates word uh. Do you not understand what you read. Pay attention to the part about the cell search and phone calls.
“Victim”. 18 years old am getting some good @ss while locked up. Yep, I’m a “victim”. Sign me up – I want to be a “victim” also.
You get the best sex from the crazy chicks as long as you keep them away from knives and sharp objects – lucky little bastard.
2nd one in the last few months. Boring husbands at home and these women have an obsessive sex disorder aka Mary Kay Letourneau. These chicks have the same profile.
Just another case where they are quick to slander her name and go off an inmates word! 18 years old.. i’m sure he will say whatever he can for the attention and payout… Stay strong Erin Stiebritz..Hopefully the higher people that oversee the corrections system will start to open their eyes and make the changes needed. Chin up!