Erin Snodgrass is escorted out of the courtroom to jail after hearing in Lewis County Superior Court.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Green Hill School counselor who engaged in a sexual relationship with a student-inmate was sentenced today to 14 days in jail plus 46 treatment sessions.
Erin Snodgrass, also known as Erin Stiebritz, was arrested in January following an investigation that began after a letter was intercepted at the state juvenile detention facility.
The student, who turned 18 during the period of time in question, told detectives they had sex a few times in her office, according to court documents.
Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead told a judge this afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court he and her lawyer came to an agreement to recommend she be sentenced to a lower than usual amount of time.
Snodgrass, 37, pleaded guilty to first-degree custodial sexual misconduct in July, an offense with a standard sentencing range of six to 12 months in jail.
Halstead said the reason for less time included the fact that she has taken responsibility for it and also the interview with the student was not recorded and he later denied everything.
Snodgrass began working at Green Hill in June 2013. The events investigated occurred during the latter half of 2014. She has been free and out of custody with an unsecured bond since her arrest.
Defense attorney Blake Kremer told the judge his client takes all of this very seriously.
“She made a terrible mistake,” Kremer said. “That’s what she’ll be paying for forever.”
He noted her family stands by her, although she didn’t want them to come to the hearing. Kremer pointed out three friends in the courtroom who were there to support Snodgrass.
She addressed the court, her voice breaking.
“This has really done a lot of damage to my family and my friends,” Snodgrass said.
Judge James Lawler said he’d read the pre-sentencing report and the sentencing memorandum, and it was obvious to him the defendant felt remorse. He adopted the recommended sentence.
On paper, she was given 60 days in jail, however all but 14 of those days were each converted to one treatment session.
Neither Halstead nor Kremer mentioned, nor would they say outside the courtroom, the nature of the treatment.
Green Hill in Chehalis is run by the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration, a division of the Department of Social and Health Services. It’s a secure facility in Chehalis that provides older, male offenders education and vocational training.
Earlier this year, the state Department of Health suspended Snodgrass’s counselor credential for at least four years.
The judge also ordered that she serve 12 months of community custody and have no contact with the victim.
Snodgrass was taken into custody at the end of the hearing.
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For background, read “Guilty plea accepted in Green Hill counselor-inmate sex case” from Wednesday July 27, 2016, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
It’s just amazing there is no picture of this woman’s face. If this was a man who would of have sex with a child ,their face would be plastered everywhere. Also why isnt this Sex Offending Public Official not required to Register as a Sex Offender? DSHS takes away people’s children daily and allows them to be raped by Paedophiles they are in charge of. The only Remorse this filthy State Official is remorseful about is that she was caught. Then she only gets a year of probation for raping a Kid. The Peabody is right about one thing, the Fluoride really is lowering IQ’s and causing public brain damage. With such a lowered sentence and not having to Register as a Sex Offender it’s easy to See that the Courts are protecting DSHS Rape Squads. If the Justice system is not doing their job then it’s time to hold Court in the Streets.
TREATMENT?!?!?!?!??! I think Jim and wil need to look into some treatment of their own! Holy shit are you kidding me? She’s fucking kids at work, and she gets 14 days and has to go talk about it with a bunch of perverts and one of her peers? Who the fuck sends a counsellor to counseling about fucking their patients? I’ve spent more time in jail for deiving on a suspended lisence than she getting for fucking kids at the school she works at? I almost went yo Green hill as a teenager but i was given a last min chance at a differed prosecution and took it. If i new i might be able to get a peice of ass there i might have made a different life choice….. I think Jim and Wil must be high fiving over this gals back next weekend or something.
To go even a step further Ipackachain saw: elected officials and public employees should be held to a higher standard. If they do not think this is fair then do not run for office or seek private employment.
14 days? The fact was she was in a position of power over the student-inmate even if he had been 18 at the time. There are certain lines you do not cross:
Corrections officials and inmates
teachers and students
A lot of damage to my friends and family? Think about that before you get involved. You are 37 not 20.
There is no Typo here, the Predators of the Lewis County Government always get special treatment. I’m starting to think that Peabody is right about the Fluoride, it’s not a Conspiracy anymore it’s a fact that something is wrong in this County. By the way Peabody Slim I looked into that Fluoridealert.org link you posted and I was shocked about the dangers of water fluoridation. Thank you very much Peabody we are now filtering our water I didn’t know that fluoride was that dangerous but it really is. Peabody seems to be looking out for the health of the community, I’m a believer in what the Peabody say’s dont know why everyone is so hard on him, he knows what he’s saying is true. Do the research I did.
there must be a typo you mean 14 years not 14 days. There needs to clear percise voice that government employees are not super citizens are are subject to the same laws and not immune to stiff sentencing when it comes to the laws of the land. What blow to the rights of the people of lewis county.
“”This has really done a lot of damage to my family and my friends,’ Snodgrass said.”
“This” is the choice you made Erin. Several times. Try to make something of the little tap-tap on the wrist you got (like BleeBloo says, if you’d been a thirtysomething man doing this with a teenage girl in lockup…).
Gee, if a man did this, he’d have to register as a sexual predator and serve prison time.