BELLEVUE, Wash. — Police are looking for more potential victims after a 13-year-old in Bellevue was booked into a juvenile detention center on suspicion of inappropriate sexual behavior with an even younger child.
"The ages here are very concerning," said Officer Seth Tyler, spokesperson with Bellevue Police Department.
A juvenile prosecutor is now looking into the case of that teen, who was a judo student at the Phoenix Gym in Bellevue, according to police.
"Bellevue police received a call from a concerned parent," said Tyler. "Their child was believed to have been the victim of some inappropriate conduct that occurred at the Phoenix gym in Bellevue."
Detectives set out to learn more, and in the weeks following, "The investigation revealed several alleged disturbing interactions between a 13-year-old juvenile suspect and a 9-year-old child, both of whom attended the Phoenix Gym for Judo training," according to police.
When it comes to child sex abuse, Tyler said, "That's a very traumatizing type of crime.”
That is why the department is asking for any potential other victims to come forward by calling 911 or the NORCOM non-emergency line, 425-577-5656.
"We believe that there is a potential for additional victims, so that's why we're asking folks to talk to your kids if they went to that facility, and if you believe that they have been victimized, please give us a call," Tyler said.
He also imparted some advice for kids and families.
"It's very important to tell your parents if anything inappropriate happens so that they can know about it," he said. "And that happened in this case, so we're fortunate that we were notified by the parent.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Additional resources are available on the Washington State Department of Health's website.