Six girls have told detectives they have been sexually abused by a former youth basketball coach who was charged Tuesday with child rape and child molestation, according to the county sheriff’s office.
A judge on Wednesday set $250,000 bail for David W. Etheridge, 44, of Lynnwood who is being held in the Snohomish County Jail.
He was arrested two weeks ago in connection with the investigation of child rape several years ago and posted bail. He turned himself in to Snohomish County sheriff’s detectives a second time Friday after two more girls came forward, sheriff’s spokeswoman Jan Jorgensen said.
Since publicity about the case, two additional girls reported abuse, Jorgensen said.
All the victims allegedly were assaulted while staying at Etheridge’s home, and all were between the ages of 8 and 9 at the time, Jorgensen said. Two of the girls reported they had been on basketball teams that Etheridge coached.
He appeared Wednesday in Everett District Court where he is charged with two counts each of first-degree child rape, first-degree child molestation and possessing child pornography. Geoff Gibbs, judge pro tem, set the bail. Etheridge previously had been held on $60,000 bail.
The prosecutor has until Jan. 2 to move the case to Snohomish County Superior Court where felonies are tried.
According to the filed charges, illicit contact with the children occurred between 1998 and 2001. The child pornography allegedly was found on his computer in November. Detectives found about 500 images of child pornography on a computer disk, Jorgensen said.
According to court documents, the case started when two 14-year-old girls disclosed in late November that Etheridge molested them when they were age 9. The victims had confided this information to a mutual friend, who told her mother.
Both girls gave detailed statements and identified Etheridge as the assailant, and both were assaulted in his home while visiting his daughter, documents say.
Etheridge left his position coaching at the Alderwood Boys and Girls Club several years ago. He also coached girls’ basketball for Lynnwood Tigers Youth Sports until he resigned about three weeks ago, director Gene Melang said. Both organizations said Etheridge passed background checks before he was allowed to coach.
Jorgensen said anyone with information should call the sheriff’s tip line at 425-388-3845.
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