Ferndale man pleads guilty to years-long sex abuse of five children
A Ferndale man has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing five children over a four year period.
Mark Courtenay Fraley, 46, pleaded guilty Tuesday, Feb. 15, in Whatcom County Superior Court to two counts of third-degree child molestation and one count of third-degree assault of a child. Fraley was previously charged with two counts of first-degree rape of a child, two counts of first-degree incest, three counts of third-degree incest, two counts of first-degree child molestation and one count of second-degree molestation.
His charges were amended as part of a plea agreement, according to court records.
Fraley’s sentencing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on April 21.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office had been investigating Fraley for claims of child sex abuse since December 2012. The abuse of the five children ranged from February 2011 to September 2015, according to court records.
The children, both male and female, were as young as age 4 and as old as age 12 during the time of the abuse, the records state. The family also has a history of Child Protective Services involvement, the court records show.
Before his guilty plea, Fraley was out of jail since November 2017 in lieu of $50,000 bail. Fraley was taken into custody Tuesday after his guilty plea and is currently incarcerated in the Whatcom County Jail.
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.
▪ Tl’ils Ta’á’altha Victims of Crime: 360-325-3310 or nooksacktribe.org/departments/youth-family-services/tlils-taaaltha-victims-of-crime-program/
▪ 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.
