Enumclaw Assistant Pastor Pleads Not Guilty in Rape Allegations

The assistant pastor of Sound Doctrine Church in Enumclaw who is facing two counts of first-degree rape of a child following an Enumclaw police investigation last month, plead not guilty to both counts in King County Superior Court Thursday.

Malcolm John Fraser, 39, who is not in custody, was surrounded by family and friends in a brief appearance before Judge Mary Roberts. He made no statements while his attorney Ann Carey consented to the prosecution's request for an order prohibiting contact with all minors and specifically a sexual assault protection order for the alleged victim.

after Enumclaw police detectives found probable cause stemming from an initial report they received from Child Protective Services concerning in appropriate contact with a minor that reportedly occurred between 2005 and 2006. He is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl who was between 10 and 11 years old at the time. According to charging documents, he assaulted her and forced her to perform sex acts in her bedroom while he was staying with the family.

In a statement of probable cause, Enumclaw Police Det. Grant McCall reported that the alleged victim, now 17 years old, confirmed that Fraser and his wife moved in with her family in the 2005 to 2006 time frame. They lived with the family for just under a year, she said.

In addition to his duties with the church, Fraser was also listed as a staff member of in Enumclaw, which was where police arrested him.

Following his arraignment Thursday, Fraser, his supporters and Carey all declined to comment. However, Sound Doctrine Church on its website issued a statement of support for Fraser that was dated March 28: "Malcolm has been a member of Sound Doctrine Church for over 10 years and is a loved and valued member of our leadership team. He has shown nothing but the utmost of Christian love and devotion to his ministry, his work, his community, his marriage, and extended church family."

Athena Dean, former owner of WinePress Publishing, was in attendance and offered that the alleged victim is the daughter of a close friend and the allegations came about as the girl was undergoing counseling.

The girl's family had been a part of Sound Doctrine Church at the time Fraser and his wife stayed with them but they have not been church members for about seven years, Dean said.