A man accused of raping a foster child previously under his mother’s care made a first appearance Friday in Clark County Superior Court.
Spencer D. Lance, 22, of Moses Lake entered not-guilty pleas to first-degree rape of a child and first-degree child molestation, court records show.
The 9-year-old victim — who said she was 4 or 5 years old when the abuse started — reported to her biological aunt that she was raped by Spencer Lance when she was in foster care with his mother, Brenda Lance, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
The girl said Spencer Lance raped her either in December 2015 or 2016, just before Christmas, while living in Camas. She was afraid to tell anyone, she said, because she didn’t want Lance to hit her, the affidavit says.
Her aunt contacted Child Protective Services after the alleged abuse was disclosed to her, court records state.
In an interview with investigators, the girl said Lance raped her after luring her into his mother’s bedroom with the promise of telling her what her sister was getting for Christmas, according to court documents.
Investigators said the girl had difficulty recalling details about other incidents but said Lance sexually assaulted her three or four times, the affidavit states.
The charges show the alleged crimes occurring between July 1, 2015, and Aug. 1, 2017.
During his Friday hearing, Lance was appointed an attorney and granted supervised release. He was ordered to live in Oregon City, Ore., with his grandparents, court records show. His trial is set for Oct. 15.
Lance will be back in court Tuesday, however, to review whether he can have contact with minors while his case is pending.
Norah West, a spokeswoman for the Department of Social and Health Services, said Friday afternoon that she can’t speak to any specifics of the case.
“Generally speaking, when there is an allegation of abuse or neglect in a licensed foster home, the Department of Social and Health Services always assesses the safety of the children in the home, including biological, foster and/or adopted children, and will take action if we feel children are not safe pending the outcome of an investigation,” West wrote in an email.
“That may mean a recommendation for the removal of a particular child or children, stopping placement of additional children in that home, notification to law enforcement and, eventually, licensing action being taken on the home,” she added.
