Crime & Safety

County Prosecutors File Charge of First-Degree Molestation in Enumclaw Library Assault

In the case against 25-year-old Travis M. Lear, King County prosecutors also filed notice of a special allegation that provides for a longer sentence if a sexual assault was a predatory offense.

King County prosecutors on Friday filed a charge of first-degree child molestation against a convicted sex offender accused of assaulting an 11-year-old girl at the Enumclaw Library on Wednesday, Jan. 30.

According to a statement of probable cause by Enumclaw police detectives, the victim told police that Lear ordered her into the library bathroom or he would kill her. He reportedly molested the victim while inside the bathroom with her.

The girl told her father immediately about the incident and pointed to Lear as he was walking away from the building. Lear denied the incident occurred then later told the father he was trying to help the juvenile find the suspect.

Find out what's happening in Enumclawwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Police were able to positively identify Lear as the suspect with the father's help and with video taken earlier in the day from the Enumclaw Police Department lobby.

With the charge, prosecutors also filed notice of a special allegation that provides for a longer sentence if a sexual assault was a predatory offense. If a jury finds the predatory allegation to be proven, it triggers a mandatory 25-year sentence.

Find out what's happening in Enumclawwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

King County prosecutors have obtained convictions on two prior cases with the special allegation since law went into effect in 2006. If convicted as charged, the defendant would face a minimum 25 years up to a potential maximum sentence of life in prison. After he serves the 25 years, a parole board has the ability to keep an inmate in prison up to life for convictions on certain sex offenses. Lear, 25, remains in jail with bail set at $1,000,000.

Arraignment is on Feb. 14 at 9 a.m. at the Maleng Regional Justice Center.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Enumclaw