Bellingham man allegedly molested young girl, showed her sexually explicit video of mother
A Bellingham man is suspected of sexually molesting a 6- to 7-year-old girl he was familiar with on two occasions and showing her a sexually explicit video of her mother on his cell phone.
The Bellingham Police Department booked Joseph Ian Mexican, 42, into Whatcom County Jail Thursday, March 10, on suspicion of charges including first-degree child molestation and disclosing intimate issues. Jail records show he was released Friday, March 11, on $50,000 bail.
Police were first notified by the child’s father in May of 2021 that his daughter had been molested sometime in 2020 while she still lived in Bellingham and was between the ages of 6 and 7, according to Whatcom County Superior Court documents. The father reported his daughter was having issues at school and behavioral issues.
The victim, who now lives in Colorado, was interviewed June 11, 2021, by an accredited child advocacy center in Colorado with the assistance of law enforcement in the area, according to court documents, and during that interview she revealed that:
▪ On two separate nights Mexican sneaked into her room and repeatedly touched her inappropriately as she slept. Each time the victim would wake up with her pants pulled off.
▪ The inappropriate touching occurred while the victim lived in Bellingham and that nobody else besides Mexican was in the room with her at the time of the attacks.
▪ She waited until she had moved away from Mexican to say anything about the alleged attack because she thought Mexican might hurt her and told her not to say anything.
▪ Mexican asked the victim if she wanted to see a sexually explicit video of the victim’s mother, and because she was scared, the victim agreed. Mexican showed it to her on his phone.
The victim’s mother told police she never consented to the disclosure of the videos.
Court records show Mexican is scheduled to be arraigned March 25.
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.
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 10:11 AM.
