Pierce County Superior Court proceedings against Buckley’s father-son Reed duo are headed in different directions.
While the case against Travis Reed was finalized recently with a guilty plea and sentencing, father Randy Reed – a sitting member of the Buckley City Council – is slated for trial later this month.
Randy Reed, 54, is staring at charges stemming from allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with a young girl. According to a Superior Court spokeswoman, his trial is to begin Aug. 23.
The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office has charged Reed with first-degree child rape and first-degree child molestation. Charging papers allege Reed inappropriately touched a 7-year-old numerous times and had the girl touch him. The alleged incidents covered a period of many months during 2011. Reed entered a not guilty plea in September.
The girl is the daughter of a woman who was dating Travis Reed, 31. The mother, daughter and Travis Reed were living in the Buckley home owned by Randy Reed at the time of the alleged incidents.
A week after his father was charged, Travis Reed sent text messages to the mother, offering to pay $200 per month until the daughter’s 18th birthday if she would agree to drop the charges against Randy Reed. The offer would have totaled $12,000.
The girl’s mother apparently was adamant in her refusal. Charging papers indicate she told Travis Reed she “could not, nor would not, drop the charges against his father.”
Instead, the mother contacted a Buckley Police Department detective, who matched text messages on phones owned by the woman and the younger Reed.
Travis Reed offered a guilty plea July 19, admitting to a charge of tampering with a witness. He was sentenced to six months of community custody (probation) and ordered him not to have contact with the alleged victim.
Enumclaw man charged with vehicular homicide
An April crash that left one young man dead and another seriously injured has resulted in criminal charges against the Enumclaw driver.
Kyle J. Podolak, 22, has been charged in Pierce County Superior Court with one count each of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. He is to be arraigned Aug. 17.
According to State Patrol reports and court charging documents, Podolak was behind the wheel of a 2006 Chevrolet pickup during the early-morning hours of April 22. The pickup was traveling on state Route 162 near Orting when it left the road, rolled, struck a power pole and came to rest in a ditch.
Brandon Duprie of Enumclaw was killed in the crash and a second passenger required surgery for a spinal injury. Podolak escaped with a fractured arm.
It is alleged that speed and alcohol were factors in the crash. Charging documents indicate Podolak was traveling in excess of 60 miles per hour when he came upon a sharp corner in the vicinity of Voight’s Creek.
