Man who molested girl in Yelm receives alternative sentence

A man who has admitted to molesting a 9-year-old girl in Yelm will avoid more jail time at the request of the victim’s family.

Joseph Scott Wahleithner, 26, appeared Monday in Thurston County Superior Court where he received a special sex offender sentencing alternative, commonly referred to as SSOSA.

Wahleithner pleaded guilty in March to first-degree child molestation. Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 59 and a half years to life in prison.

Under the SSOSA, Wahleithner was sentenced to one year in jail with the rest of the time suspended. He will be on lifetime probation and prohibited from having contact with minors. He also must undergo sexual deviancy treatment and register as a sex offender.

The case dates to October 2014, when the victim’s mother first contacted Yelm police. The mother overheard her daughter say that Wahleithner, who had been staying at their home for about five months, had inappropriately touched her. The mother confronted Wahleithner and he admitted to touching the girl, according to court documents.

The girl told police that Wahleithner — who went by the nickname “Juggy” — had been touching her for several months and that he wouldn’t stop when she told him to stop, according to court documents. In an interview with detectives, Wahleithner admitted to touching the girl underneath her clothing while they were playing and at one point said “that girl is a little too friendly.”

Wahleithner, who has been incarcerated since his arrest in October 2014, will be released from custody as a result of the SSOSA sentence.

The victim’s mother urged the court to adopt the special sentence to avoid a trial and further trauma, according to a letter that was read aloud at Monday’s hearing. The letter described the emotional toll that Wahleithner’s crime has taken on the family, but also noted that the girl has made progress in her recovery.

“I wish I could take it back,” said Wahleithner at Monday’s hearing. “I regret what I’ve done.”

Judge James Dixon told Wahleithner that the sentence is an opportunity to find treatment instead of serving more time behind bars. Dixon said that the Department of Corrections would closely monitor Wahleithner and that the special sentence can be revoked if the terms are violated.

“You’re going to be on a pretty short leash,” Dixon said.

According to documents, Wahleithner was in the U.S. Army Reserve at the time of his arrest and has one prior juvenile conviction for residential burglary.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 1:40 PM with the headline "Man who molested girl in Yelm receives alternative sentence."