Trejo Perez found guilty of child molestation

Apr. 11—COLFAX — After extensive deliberation, a Whitman County jury found guilty a 34-year-old man accused of molesting a teenage boy from Pullman.

Juan Trejo Perez was convicted of felony third-degree child molestation Wednesday afternoon. This concluded a three-day jury trial at the Whitman County Superior Court.

The trial included testimony from several of the victim's family members, as well as a lengthy statement from Trejo Perez, which began Tuesday afternoon and continued Wednesday morning.

He alleged the family had conspired against him, and he discounted versions of events told by all 10 witnesses Tuesday. His testimony Wednesday was similar; he again contended law enforcement was malicious and interrogated him in an "ugly way."

Pullman Police Department Detective Sgt. Chris Engle provided a rebuttal to this claim, and said the investigation was not hostile. He added interrogations aren't like they're portrayed on TV, and police use methods that build rapport with the suspect.

"We need to build a relationship with them so we aren't an enemy," Engle said. "We try to be careful not to induce external pressure."

Whitman County Prosecutor Tessa Scholl said the victim's and his family's statements were consistent, and they had no reason to fabricate their story. She added Trejo Perez, at any point in his testimony, didn't indicate why they could have been lying.

Scholl said Trejo Perez's claims were exaggerated and misleading. She said he conveniently showed the victim porn on the same day of the molestation, fixed the lock on his door hours before the incident occurred, left the house afterward and just so happened to end up at the airport trying to leave the country.

She noted many points in Trejo Perez's statement were contradictory.

Shortly after the incident, Trejo Perez said he tried to rent a car to get around Pullman but later admitted to trying to purchase a plane ticket to Mexico, where his wife and four children reside. Trejo Perez claimed he had never asked the victim for a massage, but later contradicted himself.

Other inconsistencies were present. Trejo Perez said family members had visited him in jail, tried to give him money and told him they "loved him." In truth, Scholl said, they spoke of trying to avoid him. Some witnesses recounted they had heard him ask the boy for a massage and offered to provide one instead, to which Trejo Perez said the victim was the only one who agreed to it.

Scholl also mentioned Trejo Perez was noticeably angry while giving his testimony.

Whitman County Public Defender Steve Martonick asked the jury not to hold his frustration against him. He said two large officers, fully armed and unable to speak Spanish, were intimidating. He also said Trejo Perez testified when he wasn't required to.

The jury of 12 Whitman County residents unanimously chose to convict Trejo Perez. The decision was made after a lengthy discussion that began Wednesday morning and concluded that afternoon.

Trejo Perez will appear in Whitman County Superior Court to be sentenced May 31.

Trejo Perez was arrested in October 2023 at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport. He had arrived in Pullman in September.

This is the second time he's been before a jury. Trejo Perez began a trial in December 2023 that ended with a hung jury and a mistrial.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.