Thurston County sex offender faces prison for molesting girl, 10

A registered sex offender in Thurston County faces 45 months in prison for molesting a 10-year-old girl.

Antonio Arias, 29, appeared in shackles Monday in Thurston County Superior Court to plead guilty to a lesser charge of third-degree assault with sexual motivation. He was initially charged with first-degree child molestation.

Prosecutors are recommending a 45-month sentence with 15 months of probation. Arias will be prohibited from contacting any minors and must undergo psychological treatment. Sentencing is set for Oct. 12.

Arias, a Rainier resident, was arrested in March. According to court documents, the victim’s mother had found inappropriate photos as well as a six-second video of her daughter on Arias’ email account.

The victim told her mother that Arias had put his hand down her pants when they were spending the night at his home in 2014, according to documents. The victim had been sleeping when she awoke to Arias touching her with one hand while holding a cellphone in the other hand.

Upon his arrest, Arias told the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office that he didn’t remember molesting the girl or taking photos and video. Arias said he had a history of sleepwalking and may have been in a similar state when he recorded the images, according to documents.

Arias’ past criminal convictions include third-degree rape of a child and failure to register as a sex offender. The charges stem from a relationship he had with a then-underage female.

This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Thurston County sex offender faces prison for molesting girl, 10."