A Lake Stevens man who was convicted in 1991 of child molestation was sentenced to prison for life on Wednesday for a new batch of child sexual offenses.
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Thomas Wynne imposed the term for Matthew John Fica, 46, under the state’s “two-strike” law for sexual offenders.
Fica pleaded guilty to second-degree child rape, second-degree child molestation, communicating with a minor for immoral purposes and sexual exploitation of a minor. The offenses happened in 2003 and 2004.
The law requires life without parole for people who repeat serious sexual offenses.
Fica was earlier convicted of molesting a 12-year-old child in Spokane County. The victim in the new case was an Snohomish County 11-year-old girl.
Deputy prosecutor Craig Matheson said the mother of the Snohomish County girl knew Fica was a registered sex offender but believed he had been falsely accused in the Spokane case.
She started to become suspicious when Fica started paying too much attention to her daughter, including tucking her into bed each night, being jealous of the time the girl spent with children her own age, and making sexual references and jokes to the girl and her friends, Matheson said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.