Hearing Friday Over Witnesses In Sex-Ring Case

The young woman at the center of a new controversy here, over who is intimidating whom in a lawsuit filed over the child-sex-ring case, willingly approached defendants, newly filed court documents allege.

Michelle Kimble, 19, obtained a court order last week to keep Pastor Robert “Roby” Roberson away from her. At the same time, Roberson sought a court order to keep several of the defendants in the lawsuit away from Kimble.

Roberson alleged that Wenatchee police Detective Bob Perez, Child Protective Services supervisor Tim Abbey and social worker Kate Carrow coerced Kimble into claiming late last year that Roberson had raped her at his East Wenatchee church five years ago, when she was 14.

Kimble contended last week that Roberson threatened to harm her mother if she did not withdraw the accusation.

Roberson is a key figure in the bizarre child-sex-rings case that has shadowed the Wenatchee region since 1994. Twenty-eight Wenatchee-area people were charged with child rape or molestation in the sex-ring investigation. Fourteen people pleaded guilty, five were convicted and charges were dismissed or greatly reduced against six others.

Three people, including Roberson and his wife, Connie, were acquitted.

On Friday, Jeff Freimund, the assistant attorney general defending Abbey, Carrow and other CPS workers in the lawsuit, filed several statements from acquaintances of Kimble who say she willingly discussed the alleged rape with Perez.

Kimble’s mother, Pam Kimble, gave a statement saying she drove her daughter to the interview with Perez and that her daughter went voluntarily, even though she advised against it.

Abbey, Carrow and Perez also filed statements saying Kimble had voluntarily told them about the alleged abuse.

A hearing is scheduled Friday in Spokane County Superior Court on Roberson’s motion seeking restraining orders to prevent Perez, Abbey and other defendants in the civil case from contacting witnesses.

Police Chief Ken Badgley said he saw no reason why Perez should not interview witnesses in the case.

“I think it’s important to remember we’re not going out and hunting these people down. But if they want to make a statement or clarification, fine, we’ll take it,” Badgley said.