They went hiking with their landlord. He allegedly raped one and groped the other

Maple Falls landlord was arrested Saturday after he went hiking and drinking in late August with two adult male tenants and allegedly raped one and groped the intimate areas of the other.

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office booked Mark Earl Millenaar, 51, into jail on suspicion of second-degree rape and taking indecent liberties by force. He is being held on $50,000 bail.

According to information provided to The Bellingham Herald Monday by Undersheriff Jeff Parks, Millenaar and the two tenants hiked to a remote area of Whatcom County, where Millenaar pushed the first victim to the ground and began kissing him on the face while holding him down.

After Millenaar was reportedly told to stop, the trio continued to hike until the second victim passed out. Millenaar then allegedly pushed the first victim to the ground again, held him by the wrists, pulled down his pants and raped him, Parks said.

Some motorcyclists rode by, interrupting the assault, Parks said, but after the incident Millenaar allegedly forced a bear hug on the second victim and grabbed and squeezed his buttocks.

Parks said the first victim showed deputies a text from Millenaar that said the “sex stuff should never have happened.”

Millenaar also allegedly bought the victims gifts after the hike, including smartphones, internet service, laptop computers, headphones and clothes, which the victims told deputies were bribes not to tell anyone.

Deputies contacted Millenaar on Saturday, and Parks said he admitted to taking the hike but initially denied any sexual contact occurred. He later said the sex was consensual right before he was booked into jail, Parks said.

Millenaar did not have an explanation for the text messages and said the men were supposed to pay him back for the gifts by doing chores, Parks said.