Valley man accused of abusing boys

Investigators say a Spokane Valley man molested teenage boys who were homeless or had criminal problems, which would make them less likely to seek help from police.

Allegations came as early as 1997 that 50-year-old Clifford Bruce Culligan was giving teenage boys alcohol and/or drugs before molesting them, according to court records. But investigators were not able to get enough evidence for a search warrant until two brothers were arrested in a home-invasion robbery at Culligan’s home, and that gave detectives what they needed to convince a judge.

“This time we had two people who had been inside the home and described what they had seen, and it compared favorably to what the victim described,” said Spokane Valley police spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan. “Part of the problem, and it may have been deliberate on (Culligan’s) part, was his victims were street kids and runaways – people who don’t typically go to the police.”

After obtaining the search warrant, detectives raided Culligan’s home at 14524 E. Mission at 10:30 a.m. Monday. About an hour later, Culligan was arrested as he arrived home.

On Tuesday, District Court Judge Sara Derr ordered Culligan to remain jailed on a $250,000 bond relating to the charges of third-degree rape of a child, delivery of controlled substances to minors and possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Culligan’s attorney, Richard Bechtolt, argued Tuesday that his client should either be released on his own recognizance or receive a lower bond.

“$250,000 is clearly excessive,” Bechtolt told Derr. “There is no evidence that he would not respond to any legal process.”

Derr sided with the deputy prosecutor, who asked for the high bond based on the continuing investigation and “significant concern” for the safety of the victims and the community.

“It looks like the concern here from the state, Mr. Bechtolt, is that these are minors and that it appears to be a course of action,” Derr said. “At this point in time, Mr. Bechtolt, $250,000 is appropriate.”

The case against Culligan, who uses the street names “Biggie” or “Big E,” began to unfold in May 2005 after a 15-year-old boy told sheriff’s Detective Kevin Bechtold that Culligan gave him alcohol and marijuana before forcing him to have sex, according to court records. That boy, now 17, later picked Culligan out of a photo lineup.

Culligan, however, refused to be interviewed by Bechtold, and the case went dormant, Reagan said.

Then, this September, a second juvenile contacted detectives and alleged that he had been sexually assaulted by Culligan after the suspect supplied him with marijuana and alcohol.

The victim told investigators that he lived in Culligan’s home for about two weeks in August 2005. While there, the boy said in court records, Culligan engaged in several sexual acts and made him watch several pornographic movies and photos of males who appeared to be as young as 7 or 8.

Sheriff’s Detective John Nowels, who was apparently unaware of Bechtold’s 2005 investigation, attempted to get a search warrant this fall based on the alleged drug use but was unsuccessful. Nowels also conducted a records check and found a 1997 report that was filed under Culligan’s middle name, Bruce, Reagan said.

In that case, a 15-year-old boy said he and other boys were provided drugs and alcohol by Culligan at his residence in the 15600 block of East Scribner Road. Culligan would perform oral sex on them after they passed out, according to court records. Reagan said he’s not sure whether that case ever got assigned to detectives in 1997.

Then, in an unrelated case, detectives were called on Nov. 11 to Culligan’s home on East Mission when he was the alleged victim of a home-invasion robbery.

On that day, Spokane Valley police officers surrounded Culligan’s home and arrested 24-year-old Joshua David Graham and 19-year-old Justin Ryan Graham as they ran from Culligan’s house, Reagan said.

Both men, who are brothers, were charged with first-degree robbery and theft. That case was assigned to Detective Mike Ricketts, who then learned of Bechtold’s and Nowels’ investigations in the alleged sex crimes by Culligan, Reagan said.

Instead of interviewing the Graham brothers about the robbery, Ricketts inquired about Culligan, Reagan said. Ricketts learned that the Graham brothers had known Culligan since 2002 or 2003.

The brothers said they knew Culligan to be someone who gave runaway teen males money, alcohol, drugs and a place to stay, Reagan said.

“Now we have three people independently telling us what this guy does and what goes on inside the house,” Reagan said.

Based on that interview, detectives obtained enough information to form a factual basis to seek Monday’s search warrant, Reagan said.

In that search, detectives seized Culligan’s computer and all of his DVD and VHS movies, which witnesses said contain child pornography, according to court records.

They also found drug paraphernalia, a small bag of marijuana and several tablets of Seroquel, which is a drug that one of the victims told investigators Culligan used to subdue him, according to court records.