Man convicted of Woodland child molestation gets over 6 years

A Vancouver man will serve over six years in a Washington state prison for molesting a teenager in Woodland in 2016 and 2017.

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A jury found Christopher Shannon Hamilton, 42, guilty of indecent liberties and first-degree child molestation on Feb. 2 in Cowlitz County Superior Court.

Judge Michael Evans handed down a concurrent sentence and issued a no-contact order on Monday.

Advocate Rebecca Clark shared the victim's statement during the sentencing hearing.

"For a long time, I didn't feel normal," she read.

Since the abuse, the victim has also reported suffering from anxiety and feeling like there is no reason to live.

The victim told the authorities during a pre-sentencing investigation that the victim does not hate Hamilton but hates what he did.

Hamilton was eager to obey the courts' orders.

"I will follow anything you want me to do," he said. "I'll do anything to get back to (my) family."

However, during an interview at the Cowlitz County Jail, Hamilton said he maintains his innocence and that the allegations against him were fabricated, according to court records.

In addition to the 82 months in custody, Hamilton is subject to a lifetime of community custody. He must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Hamilton's attorney, Nicole Terece Dalton of Vancouver's Dalton Law Office, told Evans one of the jurors from Hamilton's trial was at Monday's hearing.

The victim's relative called the Woodland Police Department on March 29, 2023, regarding Hamilton's alleged sexual assaults that occurred nearly a decade ago, when he lived with the youth's family. Since then, the family moved to another state.

A police report states Hamilton threatened to alert the victim's parents if the victim didn't do what he asked, according to court records.

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 12:38 PM.