PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles High School student has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and sexual assault in juvenile court.
The student, who is not identified because of his age, was arrested on March 18 at the Clallam County Courthouse during a hearing on a restraining order previously filed by his alleged victim, a 17-year-old girl and another PAHS student, according to a probable cause statement from the Port Angeles Police Department.
The student, who will turn 17 in May, was arrested for investigation of second-degree rape, second-degree assault, indecent liberties and forcible compulsion. He was arraigned on these charges on March 31, and a fact-finding hearing has been set for May 26.
The day before the teen’s arraignment, another student filed a restraining order against him, alleging he had sexually assaulted her on Jan. 30.
During the arraignment, the original restraining order was reset and decrees that the two cannot be within 1,000 feet of each other, and the student accused of the crimes cannot attend certain school sporting events because of the possible presence of the alleged victim.
The Port Angeles School District declined to comment.
The girl told police on March 11 that she and the student had an on-again, off-again relationship and that, in March 2020, the two had skipped school during the fifth period to hang out at a friend’s house, where he forced her to perform oral sex.
She told police she and the student remained friends for about a year after the incident, but after talking to another friend about it, she began to feel it was more serious than she thought.
On March 18, 2022, the victim shared screenshots of messages exchanged between her and the student between July 2020 and May 2021.
The messages show the student insulting her while simultaneously asking for illicit images and to have sex.
These messages plus the statement provided PAPD with enough cause to arrest the student, officers said.
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Reporter Ken Park can be reached at kpark@peninsuladailynews.com.
