The Pierce County prosecutor has charged a fourth person on Friday in connection to the disappearance of a 15-year-old Bonney Lake girl last month.
Nicholas David Biancalana, 29, was charged with third-degree rape of a child.
Investigators believe Biancalana was one of two men who had sex with the teen.
According to prosecutors, Biancalana thought the teen looked like she was 18-years-old but didn't ask her name.
“From the beginning we said we’d hold everyone accountable involved in the exploitation of this young victim. With the charges today we’ve done that,” said prosecutor Mark Lindquist.
“We promised to hold accountable everyone involved,” said prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “We’ve done that in this case, “But we continue to vigorously prosecute sex trafficking in Pierce County.”
Earlier this week, 34-year-old William Pittman was charged with third-degree rape of a child.
In late May, 39-year-old Christopher Fitzpatrick and 29-year-old Maria Counts were arrested and charged with rape, kidnapping, and possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Prosecutors believe the victim was prostituted to Pittman and Biancalana.
The teen was reported missing by her mother on May 9 and was found safe by police at a bus stop on June 3.
Lindquist said he believes all the suspects in connection to the Bonney Lake teen’s case but he knows other similar cases are likely out there.
“We happen to live in a region that's one of the worst in the country - the I-5 corridor,” Lindquist said.
He says in the last year, Pierce County has moved more detectives to a new sex crimes task force.
“Reducing sex trafficking is one of our top priorities and we're putting resources into this because we have to,” he said.
Lindquist said all the suspects will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and he believes Fitzpatrick – who will be served the longest sentence - will likely be spending decades behind bars.
Cox Media Group
