Jessie Stensland reports for the Whidbey News-Times from Island County Superior Court.
A Seattle teenager was kidnapped and raped by a Camano Island man at his home and then she and a friend were dropped off in Marysville, where the girl was raped again by a stranger, according to court documents.
The Camano Island man, 41-year-old Kacy T. Hoffer, made his first appearance in Island County Superior Court Tuesday. The second suspect is being investigated by an agency in Snohomish County and hasn’t yet been charged, despite being identified by DNA evidence, according to a report by a detective with the Island County Sheriff’s Office.
Thursday, prosecutors charged Hoffer with kidnapping in the first degree, rape of a child in the third degree, sexual exploitation of a minor and unlawful imprisonment. The kidnapping charge includes a sentencing enhancement alleging sexual motivation.
Hoffer posted $100,000 bail Thursday afternoon and was released from custody.
They Said It
In court Tuesday, Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks argued that Hoffer’s actions met the statutory definition of kidnapping because he secreted the 15-year-old girl to a place where neither her parents nor anyone else knew where they were with the intent of committing a felony sexual offense.
Banks asked [Island County Superior Court Judge Christon] Skinner to set Hoffer’s bail at $500,000, pointing out that the defendant could face a lengthy prison term, which might make it more likely that he will flee. He also argued that Hoffer presents a risk to the community in general and specifically to one of the victims, whom he allegedly threatened.
Hoffer’s attorney, Nicole Nelson, argued that the judge should release her client on personal recognizance. She said his only criminal history is a DUI and that he has family in the Snohomish County area. She said he has a job interview he hopes to go to.
Skinner called the prosecutor’s bail request “extraordinary” and pointed out that court rules state that a defendant shall be released after a preliminary hearing unless the judge finds specific reasons not to. He said the argument that Hoffer is facing a long sentence wasn’t compelling, but he did find that he represents a danger to the community and the victim. He set Hoffer’s bail at $100,000, which he said can be a property bond.
