Warning: The following story contains graphic details about sexual assault.
Lopez Island resident David James Wallace, 53, has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for raping an underage family member who lives in King County.
Wallace pleaded guilty to rape of a child in the second degree on March 1 in King County Superior Court. He originally pleaded not guilty.
On March 17, he was sentenced to 90 months by Judge Timothy Bradshaw. He is currently serving in the Washington Corrections Center in Mason County. Wallace will be a registered sex offender for the remainder of his life, and has been ordered to have no contact minors except under supervision by a responsible adult. He will also pay restitution in an amount to be determined.
According to the King County Sheriff’s Office probable cause statement, the victim said Wallace came into his room while he was sleeping and sexually assaulted him from the ages of 9 to 13. The victim tried to get away but was held down by Wallace. It ended when Wallace’s wife called to him from outside the room. Statements taken from the victim’s family confirm that they heard Wallace’s wife often call out to him during the night while the couple stayed in their home. The victim’s mother stated that several years ago she found Wallace in her son’s room while he was sleeping; she said at the time she “didn’t think anything about it other than being startled.”
According to a sexual deviancy evaluation conducted on Nov. 8, 2016, during a polygraph test Wallace admitted to molesting the victim’s male and female siblings while they slept. He said he began sexually abusing young children when he was 12, and admitted to sexual contact with a 14-year-old physically and/or mentally challenged girl when he was 26. Wallace said “she was the aggressor.” The report reads, “This defendant does not believe he needs help to control his sexual impulses and behaviors. He believes he would never reoffend even if he never received treatment.” The evaluation also revealed that Wallace has “serious” alcohol abuse issues, consuming up to a fifth of vodka in one day.
Wallace’s previous convictions include two incidents of driving under the influence, negligent driving, malicious mischief and not having a valid license.
