After jail call, rape suspect’s bail raised to $250,000

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, November 29, 2016

A suspected child rapist’s bail was increased to $250,000 last week after he allegedly violated a court order by asking his wife to contact the young victim, court documents state.

A deputy prosecutor is still hoping to get the man’s bail revoked altogether.

Prosecutors charged Oak Harbor resident George S. Agustin, 62, in Island County Superior Court Nov. 23 with rape of a child in the first degree, indecent liberties and two counts of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes. All were charged as domestic-violence crimes.

In an interview with police, the child reported that Agustin raped her at an Oak Harbor home when she was 8 years old, according to the police report. She also claimed he touched her in a sexual manner more than once, repeatedly offered her money for sex and told her not to tell anyone about the assaults, the report states.

Agustin spoke to investigators and denied all of the accusations.

A judge originally set Agustin’s bail at $50,000 and issued a domestic-violence no-contact order that barred Agustin from contacting the victim, to include third-party contact.

In a call from the Island County jail Nov. 22, Agustin repeatedly asks his wife to talk to someone else — the name is unintelligible — and tell that person or persons to “drop the case.” He goes on to repeatedly ask her to tell them to “drop it” and his wife agrees, according to a police report.

Calls that inmates make from the jail are recorded.

The prosecutor’s office asked a judge on Nov. 23 to revoke Agustin’s bail altogether. Judge Alan Hancock increased Agustin’s bail to $250,000 and set a hearing to consider the revocation of bail for Monday.

On Monday, however, the defense attorney said in court that he hadn’t received the recording or paperwork associated with the case. As a result, the hearing was set over to next Monday, to coincide with arraignment.