Blaine man pleads guilty to repeatedly sexually abusing a young girl
A 41-year-old Blaine man has pleaded guilty to repeatedly sexually abusing a girl while she was between the ages of 12 and 15.
Adam Joshua Mather pleaded guilty Jan. 16 in Whatcom County Superior Court to two counts of second-degree child rape.
He was previously charged with four counts of second-degree child rape and two counts of third-degree child rape, but his charges were amended down as part of a plea deal, according to court records.
Mather’s sentencing hearing has tentatively been scheduled for March 14.
While the plea deal is agreed upon, the sentence recommended by the attorneys for Mather is not, court documents show.
At Mather’s sentencing hearing, the prosecuting attorney is expected to recommend 10 years in prison, with lifetime probation; a lifetime sexual assault protection order between Mather and the girl; and sex offender registration.
Mather’s defense attorney is expected to recommend a special sex offender sentencing alternative, which would allow Mather to participate in specialized treatment instead of serving time in prison.
If the court determines Mather is eligible for the sex offender sentencing alternative, the prosecuting attorney will recommend Mather serve one year in prison, with lifetime probation; for Mather to follow all conditions recommended by DOC in the presentence investigation report; a lifetime sexual assault protection order between Mather and the girl; and sex offender registration.
Mather was taken into custody after his court hearing Tuesday. An order was also signed Tuesday that allows Mather to participate in the Whatcom County Jail’s work-release program pending sentencing, if the jail determines he’s eligible, the court documents show.
The crimes
Shortly before 4:15 p.m. on May 4, 2021, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call from a Blaine man who said Mather raped his then-17-year-old daughter between the ages of 12 and 15.
The man told sheriff’s deputies that he and his family used to live in the same neighborhood as Mather and his family. The man told deputies his daughter was friends with Mather’s children and that his daughter would hang out at Mather’s house. The man also said that the two families had become good friends, court records state.
The then-teenage girl told deputies that when she was 12 years old, she was over at Mather’s house and Mather grabbed her by the throat, pushed her against a wall and molested and abused her. The girl told Mather to stop, but he didn’t, and he told her not to tell anyone “as he would get in trouble,” the court documents state.
When sheriff’s deputies asked the girl how many times sexual abuse had occurred, she said “a hundred”, the records state. The girl told deputies that on other occasions, Mather would tell her to shut up, including once when she was crying.
She said the sexual abuse continued even after Mather and his family moved out of the neighborhood. The girl told deputies that after her 13th birthday, she “gave up fighting with Adam and let him do what he wanted,” according to court records.
The girl told deputies that by the time she turned 14, Mather would take her and the other children camping on Sumas Mountain or near the Nooksack River. She told deputies that Mather would gag her to keep her quiet in the tent, or would take her into the woods and rape her.
Mather would not use protection and pressured the girl to speak with her mother about getting birth control, court documents state.
The girl told deputies the sexual abuse continued after she turned 15 and occurred in various rentals that Mather and his family lived in and while on camping trips.
Around 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 22, 2019, Mather showed up outside the girl’s window at her family’s home. The girl told deputies that Mather was telling her what to wear when she cut him off and told him never to come back. The girl told Mather that if he did come back, “she would tell her parents about what he had done to her,” court records state.
The girl told deputies she has not seen or heard from Mather since.
Mather was “very controlling” of the girl, and when her parents informed Mather that they no longer wanted him around, “he advised them that he would just wait till she was 18 to see her,” court documents state.
The girl was approaching her 18th birthday around the time she disclosed the sexual abuse, and told deputies she was concerned that Mather was going to show up and hurt her. She also said she had been having sleeping, appetite, and anxiety issues as her birthday approached due to her concerns with Mather, according to court records.
Mather was then arrested May 5, 2021, jail records show.
Resources
▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org
Brigid Collins Family Support Center professionals are on-call between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, to answer questions about children, families, abuse prevention or treatment at (360) 734-4616.
▪ Child Protective Services: Washington state hotline for reporting child abuse and neglect, 866-829-2153.
▪ 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/.
If you or a child is in immediate danger, call 911 and make a report to law enforcement.
To report child abuse or neglect call 1-866-END HARM.
