Olympia man, 58, pleads guilty to molesting girl

A 58-year-old Olympia man has pleaded guilty to molesting a 6-year-old girl.

Jeffrey Alan Leever appeared Monday in Thurston County Superior Court to plead guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree child molestation. He was initially charged with two counts of first-degree child molestation.

Prosecutors are recommending a maximum sentence of 20 months. Leever, who has no prior criminal history, must also register as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 7.

Leever was arrested in March after the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a sex offense involving Leever and the caller’s 6-year-old daughter.

Leever, who was described as a “family friend,” was left alone with the girl while her father was on the phone, according to court documents.

The girl had taken Leever to her bedroom to show him a new toy. Once inside the room, Leever closed the door behind them, lifted up her shirt and put his mouth on her, according to court documents. He also attempted to put his hand down her pants, but she told him to stop and turned away.

Leever also allegedly told the girl he wanted to put glitter down the front of her pants, then touched her inappropriately, according to court documents.

The victim’s father told detectives that he had been on the phone while Leever had unsupervised access to his daughter most of the night.

During his arrest, Leever told detectives that he had a problem with alcohol and had been drinking tequila and beer that night, according to documents. Leever said he and the girl had been wrestling with each other and that he might have kissed her on the stomach, but he denied touching her elsewhere.

At Monday’s hearing, the court revoked Leever’s conditions of release and ordered him held in jail until sentencing.

This story was originally published October 26, 2015 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Olympia man, 58, pleads guilty to molesting girl."