Ex-Chimacum High School principal to face additional sex crime charges

PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County Prosecutor Juelie Dalzell has won additional charges against former Chimacum High School Principal Rex E. Whipple for allegedly videotaping a 15-year-old girl in various stages of undress without her knowledge.

Whipple now faces one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and/or $20,000 fine, and 10 counts of possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Each of the 10 counts carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine.

Fifty-seven video clips and still images of the 15-year-old Chimacum High School student — downloaded to Whipple’s laptop computer between Oct. 12, 2005, and March 6, 2006 — were backed-up to and recovered from the Chimacum School District’s computer server, according to court records.

“I saw the evidence,” said Dalzell of her reason for increasing the charges against Whipple.

“I actually saw the evidence instead of hearing about it.”

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