SKYKOMISH, Wash. — A high-ranking teacher at the Skykomish School District has been charged with the alleged rape of a student, who prosecutors say he groomed and abused over the span of nearly two years.
On Wednesday, Daniel Bubar was charged with rape of a child in the second- and third-degree and communication with a minor for immoral purposes.
“In this case, the 62-year-old defendant engaged in a horrific abuse of power, exploiting the vulnerability of [the victim] under the guise of mentorship and guidance over the course of [the victim’s] 8th and 9th grade years,” prosecutors wrote in court documents.
Bubar was the gym teacher, dean of students, athletic director and Title IX coordinator at the school, according to the school’s website.
The investigation into Bubar began in early March, when the 14-year-old victim disclosed the alleged abuse to her mother.
She told her mother that the pair had been engaged in a “sexual relationship” since she was at least 13, but that he had been showing her special attention since she was 12, in the 7th grade, according to court documents.
The girl’s mother told investigators that her daughter had moved to the school in 7th grade after the death of a friend, and that she “quickly bonded with the athletic director and physical education teacher, Bubar, due to a shared interest in soccer,” court documents said.
Alleged early grooming
According to the child’s mother, the then-12-year-old started coming home with gifts that she said were from Bubar, court docs said. According to charging documents, the gifts started out small but then became more expensive.
Bubar allegedly got the pre-teen a Barcelona soccer scarf and a soccer magazine for her birthday, docs said.
The child’s mother “reported that she had conversations with [the victim], expressing her concerns and explaining that she needed to be sure she was not alone with him and keeping her distance. [The victim] dismissed the concerns, explaining that “he’s old,” and that nothing happened," court documents said.
The girl’s mother also noted that her daughter regularly talked about Bubar and their interactions over her 7th-grade year, and noticed that Bubar was “communicating excessively” with her daughter outside school hours via school email, court documents said.
Investigators: ‘Sexual relationship’ begins
The victim told her mother that her and Bubar’s “relationship” became “sexual” when the girl entered 8th grade, according to court documents. The gifts also allegedly evolved to include sex toys and lingerie docs said.
The girl’s mother said her daughter didn’t have a job and had no way of buying those items herself, court docs said.
During his interview with the police, Bubar initially said that he “made purchases at the Lovers in Monroe using cash, due to concerns. Bubar reported he’d purchased the items because [the victim] expressed an interest in her “sexuality, ” and “looking good,” but did not initially elaborate. Bubar initially stated he was “just accommodating a student,” court documents said.
The documents allege that the sexual encounters happened several times in various parts of the school, and that Bubar used several gym-related code words in his messages to indicate a specific sexual act.
The victim told investigators that she would take nude photos of herself and that the suspect would take photos of her phone and delete the pictures, so they would live in his “recently deleted” album, which requires a password to access, court documents allege.
Did the school know?
According to court documents, other students and staff expressed concerns about victim and Bubar’s “relationship,” and over the last few months, the principal ordered the Bubar not to be alone with the victim. This was allegedly enforced by having another student in the room with them while they were together, court docs allege.
Court documents say that the arrangement didn’t make much of a difference, as the child is supposedly on the autism spectrum and would be in the room with a tablet and headphones while the victim and Bubar allegedly engaged in sexual acts on the opposite side of the gym.
KIRO 7 has reached out to a public relations firm representing the school for comment about the allegation in the court documents, and they said the school would address it in a meeting held tonight.
Arrest of Bubar
On March 6, King County Sheriff’s deputies went to the school in response to the allegations to arrest Bubar.
The victim told investigators that she was never forced to commit sexual acts on the suspect and that she didn’t want him to go to jail because she loved him, court docs said.
Court documents said that Bubar told her that he didn’t see a future with her and that she would eventually need to “get a real boyfriend,” according to probable cause documents.
During his initial interview with police, Bubar denied any “inappropriate physical contact” with the victim, court docs said.
However, according to court documents:
“Bubar stated several times that he was “guilty,” and everything that had happened was his fault. He cried several times while discussing the impact he’d had on Bubar. Bubar wrote an apology letter to Bubar telling her to never blame herself and that as an educator and coach, he should have been more “professional and responsible.” Bubar stated he “f***** up her whole life.” Asked us to take him to jail and to tell his wife that he was guilty. Bubar stated we didn’t need to investigate anything," probable cause documents said.
Detectives do not believe there are additional victims, but the investigation is ongoing.
Bail has been set at $750,000.
School responds to ‘lack of information’
The district sent out a media release on March 10 apologizing to parents for “lack of information” as the investigation unfolded.
The school will be closed until Monday, March 16 to give staff, students and parents time to “process the events of the last several days.”
“We know there is hurt and anger and we want every parent and student to know that we are committed to immediate steps to ensure all students are safe and protected, now and for the future. We are members of this community and parents as well, and we too are horrified and shocked at the recent events.
The SSD will initiate an independent third-party investigation of the events surrounding these allegations. The investigation will give us the facts to assess the actions of employees and whether policies were followed properly, and to assess how to strengthen our protections as necessary. That inquiry will be conducted alongside the ongoing criminal investigation, and the District is cooperating fully with authorities.
Trust begins with communication. To help rebuild trust, school staff will personally reach out to every family in the district to hear their concerns, share the latest information and to help rebuild trust,“ the district said, in part, in media release.
When the school reopens, the district said King County deputies will be on school grounds, and that the district is surveying the building for “physical changes that can improve safety.”
The district will also provide counseling for students and staff so they can share their concerns in private.
“We are reviewing our policies and protocols to ensure every employee and student knows how concerns can be reported – including anonymously - and that those reports are acted upon. We know how important clear communication is. We will keep families updated regularly and be open and transparent as we move forward," the press release said.
KIRO 7 checked the Skykomish athletics website, and as of March 11, Bubar was no longer listed as the athletic director.
The school was scheduled to have a meeting on March 11 at 6:30 for parents and community members, but as of 6:17 p.m., KIRO 7 was informed the meeting will likely be cancelled due to a power outage.