A 59-year-old Dungeness man is under investigation on allegations of child rape and incest after four relatives said he sexually abused them.

Steven Guy Welty was charged in Clallam County Superior Court on Aug. 6 with six counts of first-degree child rape, six counts of first-degree child molestation and six counts of first-degree incest in the case of one of the relatives.

Welty remains in custody at the Clallam County jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.

According to court records, Welty is accused of committing sexual acts on the relative multiple times while she was between the ages of 4 and 10. The relative is now a teenager.

Clallam County Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Lyman Moores said three more relatives have come forward with similar allegations and the investigation continues in each case.

Two of the relatives live out of the area and are scheduled to be interviewed by their local law enforcement agencies, he said.

Investigators also are trying to find out more about Welty, he said.

"We don't know a lot about Welty aside from what we've obtained from our initial interviews," he said.

Moores said Welty was a deacon at a church in Westport before moving to Sequim and becoming a pastor at Glory House Church.

Welty told investigators the church was closed for financial reasons two years ago, Moores said.

Anyone with information about Welty is encouraged to call Detective John Hollis at 417-2300.

Welty's arraignment is scheduled for Friday in Clallam County Superior Court.



Amanda Winters can be reached at awinters@sequimgazette.com.