Washougal Mayor Sean Guard paid a woman $300 shortly after receiving sexual favors, according to a Washington State Patrol investigation.
A 21-page report, first reported by the Camas-Washougal Post-Record, lays out an investigation into a sexually charged relationship between Guard and the woman over text messages and Facebook, which eventually led to oral sex and a supposed $300 loan to help pay rent.
Guard, who was elected in 2009 and is married, admitted to investigators he received oral sex from the woman at his office on Main Street in Washougal and then, within days of the act, paid her in a Safeway parking lot.
“Guard stated the idea of prostitution was not in his mind, but conceded that the situation looked very damning,” investigators wrote in the report, which was completed Aug. 10.
Rumors of harassment first began to surface in May, when the Washougal Police Department announced it had received a complaint. Shortly after, Guard withdrew his name for re-election from the November ballot.
According to the report, Guard denied the affair to Washougal Police Chief Ron Mitchell before the investigation officially launched. The report shows he said his Facebook account was “hacked,” but he admitted to giving the woman $300.
The investigation was run by the Washington State Patrol’s Vancouver office, whom Washougal police tapped for an impartial investigation, from May 24 to Aug. 2. Detective Jen Ortiz interviewed Guard, the woman and her roommate, and secured messages between Guard and the woman over cellphones and Facebook.
The report shows the woman came forward because, although “she had done things … she was not proud of,” she ultimately said she had “not been in her right mind during the relationship because she was taking methadone and Xanax.” She also worried Guard may have skimmed city funds.
“She and Guard had an inappropriate sexual relationship in which he offered her money for sex and (she) believed the money may have come from the city of Washougal funds,” the report said.
Contact via Facebook
Guard reportedly first contacted the woman on Facebook, becoming friends on the site in July 2015. He messaged her soon after with comments on a picture, and then the conversation shifted to sexual questions.
On Aug. 13, 2015, Guard wrote he was “in need of an awesome massage. Can I pay you for that?” To which she eventually responded “you let me know when?”
Guard and the woman talked several times via Facebook and text messages and talked of getting together in person. The report said it doesn’t appear they ever got together until August 2016, when the woman messaged Guard what to do about being short on rent.
The report says Guard throws out several options, “including serving, cocktailing, massages, lingerie house cleaning, Craigslist, girlfriend referrals,” among other things.
Facebook messages between the two show they soon started discussing the possibility of Guard giving her $300. Guard told her, “let me see what I can do. Craving human touch, but I don’t control our bank acct (sic),” the report said.
According to the report, the two met at his business office at 2011 Main St., Washougal, where they engaged in oral sex. Guard told investigators at first he only knew the woman because their mothers played softball together years ago; but he then admitted to a “consensual, sexual relationship” that took place mainly over Facebook and text messages.
Guard then told investigators that, within days of receiving oral sex from the woman in his business office, he met her in a Safeway parking lot to give her a $300 loan for rent.
The case was forwarded to the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office for review. The report concludes with the legal definition for patronizing a prostitute, which is a misdemeanor in Washington.
Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Camara Banfield was out of her office when The Columbian attempted to reach her by phone Friday. The Post-Record reported the office is reviewing the report and will decide whether or not to bring charges against Guard.
