need to know
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The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ilwaco Volunteer Fire Chief Jefferey S. Archer on Jan. 9, who faces 37 counts of child sexual abuse.
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The department investigated after two boys accused Archer of sexual abuse; he has reportedly been placed on administrative leave as fire chief
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Archer pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment on January 16
A Washington volunteer fire captain has been charged with 37 counts of child sexual abuse, but has pleaded not guilty, according to reports.
Ilwaco Volunteer Fire Chief Jefferey S. Archer was arrested by the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office on January 9 and was being held at the Pacific County Jail, local media reported seattle times, chinook observer King5 quotes authorities.
He was charged with 10 counts of first-degree child rape, 21 counts of first-degree child molestation, four counts of second-degree child molestation, one count of trading in images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and one count of possessing images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, according to court documents cited by The New York Times. chinook observer.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office, Pacific County Sheriff’s Office and Ilwaco Volunteer Fire Department for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Archer was arrested following an investigation by the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office. According to King5 and, they conducted an investigation after receiving allegations of possible child molestation and rape. seattle times.
An unnamed boy claimed to police that he was sexually abused by Archer every weekend for five months in 2019 and claimed he would be given cannabis and alcohol if the acts were “allowed”. Second-rate, It cited court records.
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Police nighttime drunk driving checkpoint. Close-up photo of police cruiser lights.
Court documents show he told police he and another boy were abused at their Ocean Park home, and police said Archer had an “intimate relationship” with the other boy, who was 18 at the time. era the report said. A probable cause statement said the alleged abuse began in 2013, according to King5.
Archer was taken into custody after deputies from the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office and partner agencies executed a search warrant at a home on Jan. 9, King5 reported.
Archer was placed on administrative leave by the Ilwaco Fire Department and remains in the Pacific County Jail with bail set at $500,000. chinook observer the report said.
City Administrator Holly Beller told era Archer began serving as a part-time fire chief in Ilwaco in 2021 and was hired as a full-time fire chief in November 2023.
“The city will continue to monitor the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office investigation and respond appropriately once the matter is resolved,” Baylor told reporters. era in a statement. “At the same time, the City of Ilwaco and the Ilwaco Fire Department are deeply committed to protecting the citizens of Ilwaco.”
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Archer pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment on Friday, January 16.
The Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office told chinook observer They will bring additional charges against Archer, which could include alleged crimes against other victims.
Read the original article on People
