Buckley councilman's son allegedly tried to bribe accuser's parent
STACIA GLENN
Longtime Buckley City Councilman Randy Reed pleaded not guilty in September to charges that he’d sexually abused a 7-year-old girl. Now his son also faces charges – for allegedly trying to bribe the girl’s mother into dropping the case.
Pierce County prosecutors have charged Travis Reed, 31, with bribing a witness. He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.
A week after Randy Reed was charged with first-degree child rape and first-degree child molestation, his son sent text messages to the victim’s mother offering to pay $200 a month until the girl turned 18 if she would drop the charges, according to charging papers.
That would add up to $12,000.
The victim’s mother “responded to the defendant that she could not, nor would not, drop the charges against his father,” documents state.
She then called Buckley police. Officers made copies of the text messages and served a search warrant on Travis Reed’s cellphone to verify that he sent messages at the times recorded on the girl’s mother’s phone.
“All I can say is that’s like a nightmare,” Nancy Reed told KOMO-TV, adding that she stands by her husband and son.
It’s unclear why prosecutors waited eight months to file charges against Travis Reed.
Prosecutors allege Randy Reed inappropriately touched the 7-year-old daughter of a woman he knows over a six-month period and had the girl inappropriately touch him.
The councilman told investigators he loved the girl “as much if not more than his own kids,” charging documents state.
Randy Reed, a computer technician, has served on the City Council for 18 years. His term expires Dec. 31, 2013.
stacia.glenn@thenewstribune.com
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