PORT ANGELES — A 19-year-old Sequim man first convicted of burglary when he was 12 will not get out of prison until he is at least 28 after being sentenced to a minimum of nine years for first-degree attempted rape.
Timothy Lytle Gaskill was sentenced Feb. 27 to 108 months by Clallam County Superior Court Judge Lauren Erickson — the top of the sentence range — for his attempted assault of a pregnant woman whose home he broke into Aug. 8 while her three children were sleeping.
The charge against Gaskill, who had been released from Naselle Youth Camp detention facility a week earlier, included special allegations of recent release from incarceration and that the victim was pregnant.
He pleaded guilty to the charge Jan. 9. Gaskill was originally charged Aug. 30 with additional counts of first-degree burglary and fourth-degree assault, both with sexual motivation.
“In exchange for sparing the survivor the need to testify, the prosecution had dismissed two less serious charges,” Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols said in a press release.
The sentence means Gaskill will serve 108 months in prison before he is considered eligible for release. The Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board will then decide if Gaskill should be freed. The board has the discretion to keep Gaskill imprisoned for up to a life term. If released, Gaskill will be on community custody for life.
The woman told Sequim Police Detective Devin McBride that she awoke to a man in her bed moving his hand up her leg saying, “You know what I want from you,” according to the probable cause statement.
“It is either that or I go after your kids,” Gaskill said.
She told him she could “not do this” because of her pregnancy and issues with anxiety, and that he left her bed and went to the front door, saying her husband owed him money and a car.
He then put on his shoes and walked out.
A screened bathroom window was open at the time of the assault.
The screen had been removed, and shoe prints were on a chair under the window, police said.
Police targeted Gaskill after developing a suspect pool of people living in the area from criminal records and a composite drawing sketched according to details the woman provided.
Gaskill lived about a half mile away and has a history of burglary convictions, according to court records.
The woman identified Gaskill from a photo, “a thousand percent certain” that Gaskill was the intruder, according to the statement.
Gaskill had lived in the same home as the woman and her family.
His shoe imprint matched the shoe impression left on the chair, police said.
Gaskill was 12 when first convicted of residential burglary and has four subsequent second-degree burglary convictions, according to the judgment and sentence.
“He has a long history of violence, of theft and of antisocial behavior,” according to the presentence report submitted by Community Corrections Officer Ronald Gaydeski.
“In short, Mr. Gaskill has a history of being a danger to whatever community he is part of.
“Not even Mr. Gaskill’s family is immune to the danger he presents, as domestic violence is part of his history as well.
“Perhaps the most concerning to me, Mr. Gaskill does not take full responsibility for his actions and minimizes his behavior.”
Since the assault, the woman’s anxiety has greatly increased and she has panic attacks, according to the presentence report.
“Sleep comes especially hard” for the woman.
“She stated that she hopes Mr. Gaskill will feel the pain that he caused others to feel.”
Gaskill also wrote a statement included in the report.
“If I could apologize to the victim face to face I would if the victims will let me, I’m not asking for no punishment but at least one that is reasonable for everything I’ve done.”
He said he wanted Erickson to sentence him to the minimum 83 months in prison, two years less than the sentence Erickson imposed.
________
Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.