Tyler M. McKee and his lawyer face a judge this morning in Lewis County Superior Court.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A former Chehalis man admitted today he took advantage of a 13-year-old girl at a Centralia party when he was 19 years old.
Tyler M. McKee has been held since the end of July on $100,000 bail in the Lewis County Jail in connection with the 2012 case.
He and his lawyer made a deal with prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree child molestation, while a charge of second-degree rape of a child was dropped.
Lewis County Superior Court Judge Nelson Hunt asked McKee if the words printed on his admission were what happened, that on May 4, 2012, he had sexual contact with a person under 14 and encouraged, aided and abetted another to also have sexual contact with the same victim.
McKee agreed and the judge asked if McKee knew her age.
“No, I didn’t know,” McKee said.
Earlier this summer, the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office secured an arrest warrant for one of three males the 13-year-old girl believed engaged in sex with her at the party, when she was so drunk she could not walk. DNA collected from her pants and McKee were a match, according to court documents.
The now 22-year-old was living in Las Vegas and returned to Lewis County at the end of July.
After this morning’s court hearing, the judge imposed a no-bail hold and scheduled a date to return to court for Oct. 20.
His sentencing can’t take place until after the state Department of Corrections completes a pre-sentencing investigation in which the state agency will make its recommendation for how long he should be locked up.
Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead said the standard sentencing range for McKee is 31 to 41 months and the state will recommend 41.
McKee is represented by Centralia lawyer J.P. Enbody.
Another 22-year-old was arrested last week in connection with the same incident. Geffrey A. Duncan of Chehalis is charged with second-degree rape of a child.
He told the judge when he appeared in court on Friday he has no idea who the victim is. His bail was $25,000.
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For background, read “Suspect in rape of girl at 2012 Centralia party arrested in Vegas” from Monday August 1, 2016, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
It’s not a good endorsement to be known by Bo. Now Mr Duncan is definitely going to get a reputation.
Geff Duncan is my friend, and I am very close to him he would never do something like this. Geff is a good man!
People is this justice?