SPOKANE, Wash. — SPOKANE, Wash. – Ryan Lee, a former Lewis and Clark High School student accused of posting threats against the school, made his first court appearance Tuesday for violating conditions of his release.
Lee was missing early Monday when a warrant for his arrest was issued. Police found Lee and arrested him at 1 p.m. Monday.
Lee is being charged with one count of communication with a minor for immoral purposes and two counts of harassment. He is also accused of inappropriately messaging an underage girl and was charged as an adult since he was 18 at the time of the alleged crime.
Court documents show Lee is accused of messaging an underage LCHS student on Instagram using a fake username. The student told investigators she received several pornographic images and threatening and sexual messages.
Lee's conditions of release in June said he could not have contact with anyone under the age of 18, apart from family members, but court documents show that he attended a church camp with high schoolers earlier in August.
A parent contacted Bridgett Eismann with the Spokane County Prosecutor's Office via phone. The parent reported that Lee was possibly at a church camp at Silver Lake with high school-aged kids.
Eismann told the parent Lee had both a sexual assault and no contact order that prohibited him from having contact with juvenile females, according to court documents.
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The parent said Lee had also been attending a youth group through Summit Church. Her 16-year-old daughter had a photo of Lee on her cellphone, according to court documents.
The parent also reported that he was possibly attending a church camp earlier this month at Silver Lake with other high school aged kids. Court docs say that same parent also saw the suspect's mother and sister when she dropped her daughter off at the bible camp.
The conditions of Lee’s release also state that he cannot have access to social media. Prosecution introduced screen shots to the court Tuesday of Lee’s recent posts on social media, which violates the conditions of his release.
Lee’s attorney said Tuesday that Lee had not been posting on social media, arguing that it was someone using a ghost account under his name. Lee’s attorney also argued that Lee was in compliance with the conditions and was supervised by his family.
Lee’s attorney and his family have said that the conditions of his release were not clear, but the judge disagreed, saying that the conditions were very straight forward.
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The judge set Lee’s bond to $100,000, half of what the prosecution was asking for. She added that Lee could not be at any location where minors could be, which was aimed to clear up any further confusion on Lee’s end.