FERNDALE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A Ferndale man has been arrested after being accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a child.
The victim, who is now an adult, reported the abuse to Ferndale Police in July.
Court documents state that the suspect, identified as 37-year-old John Brooks, began abusing the victim when they were living in Nevada. The abuse continued when the family moved to Bellingham in 2017.
The victim told investigators that Brooks often bribed her with alcohol and cannabis gummies in exchange for sexual favors. She added that Brooks would often stream pornography on the family TV while her mother was at work.
In one instance, the victim said that Brooks instructed her to consume an unknown white powder. She told investigators that she had no memory of what happened afterwards.
Bellingham Police spokesperson Megan Peters says that before charges could be filed against Brooks, he fled to Canada in late July. Canadian border officials later arrested him for violating their country’s conditions of entry.
He was transferred into Bellingham Police custody on Oct. 1 and remains at the Whatcom County Jail without bail.
