Man who lied about his age to have sex with a teenager on a Whatcom farm sentenced to jail
A man who lied about his age on social media to meet an underage teenager and have sex with her while living together on a Lynden farm will serve jail time.
Feliciano Ramirez-Najera, 26, was sentenced Thursday, March 24, in Whatcom County Superior Court to three months in jail and a year of probation for one count of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, a felony.
Ramirez-Najera’s charges were amended down from four counts of third-degree child rape as part of a plea deal, according to court records.
As part of his sentence, Ramirez-Najera will be required to register as a sex offender.
In April 2021, a Whatcom County prosecuting attorney requested law enforcement follow-up with a teenager who said she was in an intimate relationship with Ramirez-Najera. The teenager had been interviewed as part of an investigation into an alleged case of domestic violence assault by Ramirez-Najera that occurred in May 2020, according to court records.
The teenager said she met Ramirez-Najera on Instagram in early 2019. Ramirez-Najera told the teenager he was 18, when he was 24 at the time. The teenager told Ramirez-Najera she was 15-years-old at the time, the court records state.
The girl moved in with Ramirez-Najera on a farm in Lynden and told law enforcement they began having sex, court records state.
The teenager later found Ramirez-Najera’s birth certificate and found out he lied about his age. The pair continued to date until Ramirez-Najera was arrested for fourth-degree assault, after which the girl moved in with her father in Skagit County, the court records show.
During law enforcement’s follow-up with the girl, she disclosed that Ramirez-Najera had been living with her and her father since January 2021, despite a no-contact order being in place in the assault case, court records state.
Ramirez-Najera was arrested in Skagit County in April 2021 and transferred to the Whatcom County Jail, according to court records.
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.
▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.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/.
