Internal investigation of WSP officer nearing close

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Washington State Patrol officer Christopher John Daigle has been the subject of an internal and criminal investigation since February into whether he had sex with a minor.

According to the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols there is no update on any potential criminal charges against Daigle. WSP Sgt. Darren Wright said the same of the WSP’s internal investigation, although he’s been told it will end soon.

Daigle was placed on home assignment in February. The internal investigation into his conduct began in May. What an officer does on home assignment can vary. Some may be assigned administrative tasks to complete from home while others do not have duties. According to Wright, while on home assignment Daigle does not have any official duties with the state patrol. He’s required to check in with the department twice daily from home and must be available during the business day.

The Leader is awaiting public records requests for the specific terms of Daigle’s home assignment. According to the Washington State employee salary website Daigle was paid  $107,000 in 2018 before he was under investigation.

The dual investigations seek to determine if Daigle had sex with a minor girl before she turned 16, the age of consent in Washington state.

At the time of his placement on home assignment in February, Daigle was patrolling for WSP in Clallam County. This was shortly after he was moved over from Jefferson County where he had been for a number of years.

Sex with a minor between the ages of 14 and 16 by a person at least two years older than them under state law is child-rape in the third degree, a class C felony which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison or a fine of up to $10,000.

Daigle is also being investigated for communication with a minor for immoral purposes, a gross misdemeanor carrying a maximum sentence of 364 days in jail or a fine of up to $5,000.

Daigle’s attorney, William Payne of Clallam County, declined to comment.