COLVILLE, Wash. — A Colville police officer was placed on the “Brady List” earlier this month after he had sex with an 18-year-old runaway, according to documents provided by the Stevens County Prosecutor’s Office.
Officer Julio Valencia, 30, was accused of having sex with the 18-year-old high school student, who is described as “delayed” by investigators, while on duty.
Steven’s County Prosecuting Attorney Erika George declined to charge Valencia with a crime but wrote him a letter to inform him he’d be placed on the Potential Impeachment Disclosure List, also known as the Brady List, and accused him of taking advantage of his position.
The Brady List contains names and details of law enforcement officers who have criminal convictions or were deemed untrustworthy and not credible, limiting their ability to testify at trial.
The Stevens County Sheriff’s Office began its investigation in late June of 2024 when a Colville police sergeant asked them to pick up a rape kit from Mount Carmel Hospital and secure it for evidence. According to the investigative report, when deputies arrived at the hospital, they spoke with the teen and her father.
The teen’s father told deputies he had caught his daughter having a sexual relationship with Officer Valencia through text messages in her Google account, documents say. Court records said the text messages contained sexually explicit content.
According to court documents, Valencia began contacting the teen in April when he was assigned to her runaway case. The girl’s father told deputies Valencia had taken a report on his daughter and later when she came home, Valencia checked up on her in Colville.
Court documents say Valencia messaged the teen on TikTok and it sparked a sexual relationship. During that relationship, documents Valencia sent the teen money for emergency contraception. Documents say Valencia had taken the teen to the Colville Police Department’s firearm range to have intercourse while he was on duty. The teen told deputies the sex was consensual however, there were parts of it that were not, according to documents. She also said Valencia had recorded them having sex, according to documents.
Prosecuting Attorney George declined charges related to the case saying the teen was of legal age of consent at the time the sex occurred and there was no evidence to support that the teen was unable to consent.
George also reviewed the case to determine if there was theft of services due to having sex while on duty. George said the state believes the theft occurred, but she did not believe they had sufficient evidence to provide it beyond a reasonable doubt.
In a letter dated August 15, George informed Valencia of his Brady List status. In the letter, George said being placed on the list does not automatically mean he cannot testify at any future trial. Whether or not the Brady materials are admissible in trial requires a ruling from a judge.
“…The state is required to provide material that should be recognized as conduct that creates the potential for impeachment of a witness,” George wrote.
George wrote that even though no criminal act was committed, the state thinks his past conduct could create the potential for impeachment based on two aspects of the case:
- “The relationship started based on you responding to a call in your capacity in law enforcement. The female in question was still in high school and had been reported as running away. After she returned home, you initiated contact with her through social media and a relationship sexual in nature progressed.
- You engaged in a personal sexual relationship while on duty. It is presumed that you are to be available at all times while on shift, and engaging in personal business while on shift in the least would be a misuse of city resources,” George wrote.
George wrote the potential impeachment lies “in your (Valencia) willingness to engage in personal sexual conduct while ‘on the clock’ for the city of Colville in your official capacity as a law enforcement officer.”
She went on to say it also calls into question Valencia’s reliability to make good decisions.
“…You made the choice to pursue a relationship of sexual nature with an 18-year-old who is still in high school that you initially came into contact with while responding to a report of a runaway,” George wrote. “The impeachment potential is increased in the event of an investigation into a sex crime, due to the potential for the appearance of bias.”
Valencia was placed on administrative leave in June while the investigation was underway. KREM 2 News has reached out to the Colville Police Department and the Mayor regarding Valencia’s employment status but as of Wednesday afternoon, we have not heard back.