Whatcom man suspected of sexually molesting young child he knew
A Whatcom County man is suspected of molesting a child he was familiar with who was younger than 10 at the time of the sexual assault.
Bellingham Police booked Ronald Keith Kiely, 36, into Whatcom County Jail early Saturday, Oct. 4, on suspicion of first-degree child molestation and possession of a controlled substance, and jail records show he is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail.
Police received the report of the alleged sex crime May 21, 2018, Lt. Claudia Murphy told The Bellingham Herald in an email, and the investigation found that approximately two years earlier Kiely had touched the young victim in a sexual manner.
At approximately 12:20 a.m. on Saturday, an officer spoke to Kiely in the 3200 block of Northwest Avenue and arrested him on outstanding probable cause for child molestation, Murphy said.
During a search of Kiely, four packets of Suboxone, a schedule II controlled substance, was found on him, and he did not have a prescription for the narcotic, Murphy reported.
Whatcom County Superior Court records show that Kiely has a previous conviction for second-degree assault (domestic violence) from a 2017 incident after he hit a man he knew in the chest with a small folding knife while the man was driving a car that Kiely and another woman were riding in. The man was able to drive himself to the hospital for medical treatment.
Kiely was sentenced Oct. 5, 2017, to two years in prison and 18 months probation after pleading guilty to the assault charge.
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.
