Ferndale man suspected of raping child and setting up hidden camera in bathroom
A Whatcom County man, whom Ferndale police arrested a month ago on suspicion of child pornography charges, allegedly raped a child he was familiar with and hid a camera in the bathroom to record the child while they showered.
James Milton Marriott, 18, was booked into Whatcom County Jail Tuesday, March 17, on suspicion of charges that included unlawful imprisonment, first-degree child rape and voyeurism. Whatcom County Superior Court records show Marriott was scheduled to make his first appearance Wednesday.
During follow-up interviews by police following Marriott’s arrest of Feb. 19, the victim revealed that Marriott had sexually assaulted them and refused to allow them to leave a closed room, Ferndale spokesperson Sherry DeJong told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
The investigation also showed that Marriott had hidden a camera in the bathroom to record the victim while they showered, DeJong wrote.
Marriott was arrested Feb. 19 after Ferndale police and the Department of Homeland Security served a warrant on Marriott’s Ferndale address due to an investigation by the St. Cloud (Florida) Police Department, according to court documents.
During the investigation of that case, Marriott told police he used applications to send child pornographic images in a chat room, possessed more than 500 child pornographic images on his phone and viewed the photos every few days, documents state. Marriott’s electronic devices were seized for Homeland Security to process.
Marriott is scheduled to face a jury trial beginning May 11 for three counts of possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of distributing them, court records show.
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:
▪ Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.
▪ Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.
▪ Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.
▪ WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.
▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org.
