UPDATE: October 7 at 3:30 p.m.
Six individuals that investigators said were involved in Operation Liberty Lake had their first court appearances, all entering not guilty pleas.
Those who appeared include Jennifer Whittaker, Michael Lewis, Rocky Dailey, Trenton Watkins, Ted Whittaker, and Michael Ferguson. Each of them pleaded not guilty to their respective charges, according to Julie Humphreys, Public Relations Assistant with the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office.
Ted Whittaker’s arraignment revealed a mistake in his records, leading to the dismissal of his case. However, he remains in custody and will have another first appearance with corrected records tomorrow.
Humphry’s noted that all 13 individuals involved in Operation Liberty Lake are still in custody. The next seven will have their court appearances on Thursday.
For those who appeared today, a pretrial hearing is scheduled for November 10, with the criminal trial set for December 1.
LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. – A joint sting operation in Liberty Lake resulted in the arrest of 13 individuals, Including Michael Lewis, who’s now facing charges of attempted rape of a child in the second degree.
Lewis’s father Eugene Lewis shared a statement during his son’s first appearance on Thursday.
“I just want to say prior to this, things went well,” Eugene Lewis said. “I have no idea how the devil got ahold of him, but we need to work on it your Honor.”
Lewis’s father had expressed confusion over the charges.
“This morning, we got a call and understood that he was arrested for charges that I don’t even understand,” Eugene Lewis said.
According to court documents, Lewis attempted to communicate with the mother of a 9-year-old and a 13-year-old.
The documents detail how he made plans to meet with the mother and the minors in Liberty Lake, offering $400 for sexually explicit acts with the children.
Lewis was only one of 13 arrested in the operation.
The documents revealed that others involved also sent messages seeking sexual services from minors.
During first appearances, Deputy Prosecutor Anastasiya Krotoff, says the serious nature of the case required a high payment for bond.
“Again, I’d ask that the court impose $100,000 bond in this case based on serious community safety concerns,” Krotoff said.
The operation was conducted in part over online messaging services.
A child communicating with a predator, a nightmare for many parents.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children advises parents to have open conversations with their children about online boundaries. They recommend knowing who your child is communicating with online and empowering them to say no to unwanted contact. Parents can also check the sexual offender registry in their area through the state’s website.
The 13 arrested are awaiting their arraignments set for next week.
ORIGINAL COVERAGE: October 3 at 6:15 p.m.
