A 21-year-old Kent man pleaded not guilty Monday morning in King County Superior Court in Kent to a charge of third-degree child molestation in connection with a Dec. 16 attack of a 14-year-old girl along a trail near Kent-Meridian High School.
Blake Leonard Marter also pleaded not guilty to charges of three counts of indecent exposure for three other incidents along or near the same trail during the last four months, during his arraignment Monday at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
“We ask that people not rush to judgement,” said defense attorney Mark Prothero, of Kent, speaking outside the courtroom after his client Marter’s court appearance. “The case appears to be based entirely on eyewitness identifications and we’ve learned and we know that through forensic DNA and other reasons that eyewitness identifications can be wrong.”
Kent Police arrested Marter Dec. 19 at his East Hill apartment for investigation of indecent exposure and child molestation, according to charging papers. He lives less than a mile from the trail.
Police started to investigate the case after a 14-year-old Kent-Meridian female student reported that a man with sweat pants pulled down to just above his knees jumped out and grabbed her left thigh as she walked to school along a trail in a wooded area north of French Field.
The student broke free from the man and reported the incident to a teacher and school security.
Detectives learned after numerous interviews with other students and individuals near the trail that a man matching Marter’s description has been seen several times in various stages of nudity on or near the trail since August.
As a result, prosecutors have charged Marter for three alleged indecent-exposure incidents: Sept. 15 when a girl saw a man along the trail wearing a shirt but no pants; Nov. 16 when witnesses saw a man wearing a shirt and shoes but no pants running the trail; and Dec. 11 when a girl saw a man running nude on the east side of the Campus Park parking lot, just off the trail.
Prothero said the defense is starting its work in earnest.
“We are just now beginning our own investigation,” Prothero said. “We believe that we will be able to show that he was not present at any of these crimes and that our witnesses and evidence will be able to show that and exonerate him.”
Prothero said he has started to investigate the accuracy of witnesses’ identification of Marter.
“The identifications the police are relying on are not quite as strong as the police claim and as the media has picked up and reported,” Prothero said.
Marter posted bail and was released Dec. 21 from the Kent city jail. Bail was set at $100,000.
Marter appeared before Judge Mary Roberts to enter his plea and then quickly left the courtroom with his parents. He is scheduled to return to court Jan. 21 when a trial date could be set or attorneys from either side could ask for more time to prepare the case.
“He has a lot of support from his family and friends and people in the community,” Prothero said. “They all say ‘they’ve got to have the wrong guy’ and we just hope our investigation can prove that.”
Marter lives with his parents, and has a job, but Prothero said he did not want to reveal where Marter works. Marter is a 2006 graduate of Kentwood High School.
In September 2008, Kent Police arrested Marter for investigation of indecent exposure, according to court records. Marter pleaded guilty in April to disorderly conduct and the charge of indecent exposure was dropped, with Marter receiving a two-year deferred sentence. One of the conditions of the deferment includes no criminal law violations. He also was placed on unsupervised probation.
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