A former state child welfare worker from Port Townsend accused of sexually abusing his stepdaughter for years will avoid prison after being convicted of a lesser charge.
Robert Judd, 61, was sentenced in Jefferson County Court Friday, Nov. 21, to 364 days on electronic home monitoring after a jury convicted him of 4th-degree assault. Jurors were unable to reach a verdict on a separate count of first-degree child molestation, resulting in a hung jury on that charge.
According to prosecutors, Judd repeatedly abused the girl over a four-year period, beginning when the victim was 7. The abuse ended around 2018 after Judd and the girl’s mother divorced.
The case came to light in 2021 when it was reported to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families, where Judd had been employed at the time of the abuse, prosecutors said.
The investigation by Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputy Art Frank included a forensic interview with the victim, a recorded confrontation call authorized by the court, and a follow-up interview with Judd.
During the recorded call, Judd acknowledged boundary violations, said his relationship with the child “got out of hand,” apologized, and made statements that supported the victim’s account, according to prosecutors.
Detectives said Judd later told them he believed the girl was “obsessed with boys” and claimed it was his duty to “fill the void” for male attention.
The victim delivered an emotional impact statement describing years of anxiety and other challenges she continues to face while working full-time and attending college. She told the court she intended to overcome the trauma and asked for the maximum sentence allowed by law.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Holly Graham asked the court to impose the maximum penalty of 364 days in the Jefferson County Jail, arguing that Judd’s training and experience at DCYF meant he “should have known better.”
Jefferson County Judge Brandon Mack said he considered the long-term impact on the victim, the cost of incarceration, and the effects of prosecution on Judd before sentencing him to 364 days of electronic home monitoring. Judd will only be allowed to leave home for work.
“Today’s sentence holds Mr. Judd accountable for the harm he inflicted on a child who trusted him as a father figure,” Graham said.
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