A Sea-Tac area father who admitted responsiblity for sexual assaulting and exploiting his son for years under the guise of "sex education" yesterday was sentenced to four years and six months in prison.
Roy Settles, 49, and his wife, Shirley Settles, 53, both postal workers, had pleaded guilty to rape and other misconduct involving the father's son.
King County, Superior Court Judge Sharon Armstrong sentenced Shirley Settles, stepmother of the victim, to six months in the King County jail and to complete a sexual-deviancy program.
The 17-year-od victim, who uses a different name from his father, said he intends to get involved in rape-relief organizations to reach out to other youngsters who have suffered sexual abuse.
Prosecutors accused Roy Settles of urging the boy to have sexual contact and eventually sexual intercourse with the stepmother, beginning when the boy was 9 years old.
Last year, when he could take the abuse no more, he told his natural mother and King County police.
Roy Settles had pleaded guilty to two counts of statutory rape and one count of sexual exploitation, his wife pleaded guilty to four counts of statutory rape and one count of sexual exploitation.
The judge ruled that both defendants for the rest of their lives may not have contact with minors without other adults present.
Roy Settles, Case # 89.1.01417-0
Shirley Settles, Case # 89.1.01417-0
According to the Certification for Determination of Probable Cause, Cause No. 89.1.01417.0
"...when the child was fourteen years old he expressed confusion and guilt about the sexual activity with his father. His father told the child that if he stopped having sex with his stepmother she'd feel bad, like a whore." His father urged <name removed> to continue having sex with his stepmother.
"When <name removed> was fifteen years old, his father began watching <the victim> and Shirley Settles having intercourse. One time, Roy Settles brought a polaroid camera into the bedroom and photographed <the victim> and Shirley Settles having sex in various positions. The photos were kept in a photo album along with numerous other pictures of both defendants, unclothed, in various sexual positions.
"Finally, in June 1988, <the victim> could take it no more, he told his father it was going to stop. <The victim> stopped visiting the defendants complete. He has relayed this to information to his natural mother and then to King County Police."
[Chuck Hutchins, Fraternity Snoqualmie public relations spokesman, and 16 year member, had to testify at the Settle trial. It is unknown if Roy and Shirley Settles are still welcomed members at Fraternity Snoqualmie.]
Note from Nikki Craft: If the victim in this case is ever by chance reading this page I wanted to say to you that I am very sorry for what you experienced at Fraternity Snoqualmie under the guise of family nudism. I commend you for your clarity of thought and action in calling a halt to this abuse and also to your stated decision to work with abuse groups. Whatever direction you ended up taking I hope you have found comfort, support, validation and some degree of resolve. If you would ever like to write out your experiences as a nudist child you have a place to publish it here. May 21, 1995
UPDATE: On September 25, 2005 I got an email from the victim in the case who asked simply: "Nikki Craft, What do you want to know?" Here's the article he wrote about his experience as a nudist child at Fraternity Snoqualmie: Son-Burned: A True Story by Stefin Bradbury
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