Moses Lake man pleads guilty to 3 counts of child molestation

Oct. 02--Print Article

MOSES LAKE -- A Moses Lake man entered guilty pleas to child molestation on Monday and will find out his fate during a sentencing hearing on Oct. 30.

LeRoyce Ethington, 69, of Moses Lake pleaded guilty in Grant County Superior Court on Monday to three counts of first-degree child molestation. Ethington was initially charged with first-degree rape of a child and five counts of first-degree child molestation, but the charges were amended on Monday in a plea agreement between the prosecution and defense.

The two sides are recommending Ethington be sentenced under a Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative (SOSA), which is offered in lieu of prison but still requires jail time and outpatient treatment, which in Ethington's case would be in the form of a sexual deviancy treatment program. Judge David Estudillo signed an order on Monday that directed the state Department of Corrections to draft a presentence investigation report on Ethington for the judge to take into consideration at Ethington's Oct. 30 sentencing hearing.

Police started looking into Ethington after MACC Dispatch received a call from a woman with regard to a sexual abuse allegation made by her young niece. Ethington had been living with the young victim and sexually assaulted her. The victim relayed detailed accounts to investigators of Ethington inappropriately touching her. She said she went as far as putting up signs on her bedroom door telling Ethington to not come into her room. In a phone call with a family member Ethington admitted to inappropriately touching the victim, as well as a toddler-aged girl. He allegedly said he didn't think the young victim "knew what was going on and she didn't put up a fight."

Investigators discovered Ethington had placed another phone call to a family member and admitted to touching three additional young girls. Court records indicate at least five children, four boys and the older female victim, were living at Ethington's home when the abuse occurred.

On Monday Ethington's defense attorney Lyliane Couture told the court her client has showed remorse for his actions and confessed to the parents of the victims what he did before the case was even filed in Grant County Superior Court.

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