Jury finds former Monroe prison guard guilty of child rape

EVERETT, Wash. — A jury has found a former Monroe prison guard guilty of child rape.

It took jurors in Snohomish County Superior Court less than three hours of deliberation Wednesday to convict Jason Dominguez of second-degree rape of a child, third-degree rape of a child and communication with a minor for immoral purposes, The Daily Herald reported.

According to witness testimony, Dominguez sent sexual messages over Facebook to a girl when she was in her early teens that he met when he was a Girl Scouts volunteer. Charging papers say the messages escalated to physical abuse from 2017 to 2019.

Dominguez, 36, declined to testify.

The girl’s mother testified about finding the messages, reporting them to police and said the girl told detectives about the abuse.

The teen estimated the abuse happened 10 to 12 times when she visited Dominguez and his kids.

Dominguez has remained behind bars since his arrest in October 2019, unable to post $250,000 bail.

The state rested its case Wednesday morning.

Seconds later, the defense rested without calling any witness.

In closing arguments, the prosecutor painted Dominguez as a manipulator and a predator who took advantage of someone who needed support.

Defense attorney Eli Jacobsen acknowledged Dominguez had an infatuation with the teen but asserted the sexual messages were fantasy, not reality.

Sentencing is set for Nov. 16.

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