Whatcom jury finds man guilty of sexually abusing child over several years

A Whatcom County jury found an Everson man guilty of sexually assaulting a young girl over several years.

A jury found Joel Duane Zwald, 56, guilty of one count of second-degree child rape, one count of second-degree child molestation and one count of third-degree child molestation, Oct. 20 in Whatcom County Superior Court.

Zwald’s sentencing hearing has tentatively been scheduled for Dec. 1. A pre-sentence investigation will be done prior to his sentencing hearing.

After four days of testimony in the trial and roughly two days of deliberation, the jury returned its guilty verdicts, according to court records. The verdict was unanimous.

Zwald was arrested in November 2019 after a month-long investigation by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives determined Zwald had been sexually assaulting a child known to him from March 2016 through October 2019, according to court records. The girl was around 11 or 12 years old when Zwald started abusing her, records state.

The girl previously disclosed that Zwald sexually abused her to Bellingham police in 2012, but the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office declined to file charges against Zwald due to insufficient evidence, 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, or https://www.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

▪ Child Protective Services: Washington state hotline for reporting child abuse and neglect, 866-829-2153.

This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 5:00 AM.

Denver Pratt

The Bellingham Herald

360-715-2236

Reporter Denver Pratt joined The Bellingham Herald in 2017 and covers courts and criminal and social justice. She has worked in Montana, Florida and Virginia. She lives in Alger, Wash.