Tacoma - A 69-year-old member of the Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribe was convicted today of nine federal crimes related to the sexual abuse of minors, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Joseph Anthony Turrey, of Port Angeles, Washington, was convicted following a seven-day jury trial. The jury deliberated for about two days before returning the guilty verdicts. Turrey was remanded to federal custody to await sentencing. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle scheduled the sentencing for June 5, 2023.
In 2021, according to records filed in the case, three victims disclosed abuse by the defendant that occurred between 2008 and 2016. The charged assaults occurred on tribal land, triggering federal jurisdiction. Two of the victims were as young as 6 and 7 years old when the sexual assaults began.
Turrey was convicted of six counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor, two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor, and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact.
Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor is punishable by a mandatory-minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum of life. Abusive Sexual Contact is punishable by a maximum of life in prison. Sexual Abuse of a Minor is punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Lower Elwha S’Klallam Police Department, with assistance from the National Park Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristine Foerster, Will Dreher, and Jonas Lerman.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys