BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A transient Bellingham man who is accused of sexually assaulting a teenager is now in custody.
Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deb Slater says they received a report on May 21 that a 15-year-old girl had been raped in Sudden Valley two weeks earlier.
The victim said she met a man on social media earlier that month who said he could give her alcohol, and they made plans to go on a hike into the woods on May 6 when the assault occurred.
The victim said she did not know the suspect’s name but gave detectives a photo of him and details of his social media account.
Detectives later identified the suspect as 24-year-old John Rodgers on June 2, who was recognized as a former Whatcom County Jail inmate.
Data from a search warrant on Rodgers’ social media account revealed that he was aware that the victim was underaged and confirmed the dates and times of the incident as was reported. Surveillance video also showed Rodgers stealing two bottles of liquor from a grocery store on the same day as the alleged incident.
Rodgers was found at a homeless shelter in Bellingham on Monday, July 1, where he was arrested for rape, theft, offering alcohol to a minor and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
He remains at the Whatcom County Jail without bail.
