PORT ANGELES — Clallam County Judge Brent Basden has set a $25,000 bail for Nethaniel Montgomery, who remained in the Clallam County jail on Tuesday for investigation of second-degree rape and incest.
The victim said in August that he had raped her between 70 and 80 times over the course of a year following an argument.
A warrant for Montgomery, 24, was sent out on Feb. 3. He was arrested on Feb. 20 in Wenatchee.
Montgomery had previously lived in Port Angeles.
On Tuesday, Basden appointed Harry Gasnick as Montgomery’s public defender and agreed to the recommended bail amount, citing Montgomery’s lack of financial resources and otherwise clean criminal record.
A forensic interview with the victim was conducted in September 2022 in Bellingham.
In the interview, the victim said Montgomery had control of the remains of her father and threatened to throw them away and blame the victim if she didn’t do what he said.
The victim described Montgomery as very “old school” and controlling and wanted her to act like his wife and like she was addicted to him, but knew what he was doing to her was illegal.
The victim said she was afraid to tell her mother what was happening because she would confront him and that would lead to more abuse.
According to the probable cause statement collected by the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, the victim said Montgomery had taken videos and pictures while he raped her.
The victim said the abuse ended when she finally told her mother and moved out of the house.
Investigators were able to get a warrant to search Montgomery’s metadata, which located him in Wenatchee but also verified the victim’s claims of abuse and rape, they said.
________
Reporter Ken Park can be reached at kpark@peninsuladailynews.com
