Pastor accused of child rape

A pastor at an Oak Harbor church is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, according to court documents.

Prosecutors charged Thomas E. Stoneham in Island County Superior Court June 27 with two counts of rape of a child in the third degree.

Stoneham’s wife reported him to police on June 24, court documents said.

The pastor’s wife told police that she and other family members confronted Stoneham at his church and he admitted to sexual contact with the underage girl, according to the police report.

The girl told investigators that she had sexual contact with Stoneham on two occasions, the report states. She said the contact ended after she heard someone else in the house.

An investigator contacted Stoneham by phone. He said he had been driving all night “to clear his head” and was in Idaho, the detective wrote.

Stoneham agreed to go to the police station for an interview the next morning, the report states.

Stoneham admitted to police that he sexually assaulted the girl, according to the report. He indicated that he knew what he was doing was wrong, that he was the adult and that he should have stopped it, the detective wrote.

If convicted of the charges against him, Stoneham could face from 26 to 34 months in prison under the standard sentencing range.