Police investigated his relationship with a babysitter after his wife died in a fire. Now he’s charged with child rape

A West Richland man whose wife died in a 2011 house fire is accused of sexually assaulting a girl over the past year.

And the girl’s mother knew all about it, said police.

Thomas M. St. George, 34, allegedly made the girl use sex toys, sometimes in public, telling her she needed to be comfortable with her body.

Kristin Y. Yakel, 35, is accused of knowing what was happening. Court document say that while she may have tried to stop him a few times, she often was complicit.

The two are in the Benton County jail: St. George on $500,000 bail and Yakel on $100,000.

St. George was charged Wednesday in Benton County Superior Court with two counts each of second-degree rape of a child and second-degree child molestation.

Yakel’s 72-hour investigative hold is up Thursday. Prosecutors must either charge or release her.

Police got a tip Oct. 12 about a child sex crime in West Richland.

The girl disclosed that it started with St. George hugging her and groping her over her clothes, then escalated to being inappropriately touched and raped, documents said.

The victim went into detail about several instances of sexual abuse, including when her mother allegedly went along with forcing her to use sex toys.

Officers seized several devices during a search of St. George’s North 69th Avenue home, court documents said.

Yakel allegedly admitted seeing St. George touch the girl and to participating in some situations involving sex toys, documents said.

It’s not the first time St. George has been under investigation.

He was living on South 45th Avenue in March 2011 when his home caught fire.

He escaped, but his wife, Sandy, 26, died as a result of smoke inhalation. The couple’s three young sons were at a babysitter’s home overnight.

St. George told investigators he was awakened by his barking dog, but wasn’t able to save his wife.

West Richland police, working with local fire officials and federal agents, completed an extensive investigation but were never able to determine the cause of the blaze. As a result, the manner of her death was ruled “undetermined.”

Prosecutors elected not to file any criminal charges related to the fire or death.

Weeks later, St. George was investigated for having an inappropriate sexual relationship with the couple’s teenage babysitter.

The allegations surfaced when the girl’s parents sought a protection order to keep St. George away from her after they repeatedly told him that his constant attention was inappropriate and should stop. They reportedly found the two “snuggling” in the hospital while St. George was recovering after the fire.

He denied the allegations, saying he was close to the teen but they did not have a sexual relationship.

West Richland police looked into the reports, but Prosecutor Andy Miller said at the time there was “no direct evidence that any crime was committed.”

Also that year, St. George, his parents and the family businesses were sued by Sandy’s sister on behalf of the estate.

The lawsuit claimed they likely caused the deadly blaze by violating West Richland city codes by negligently storing flammable materials for the businesses in an attached shop.

Court records show a “minor settlement” was reached in July 2013, and the civil case was dismissed the following month.

This story was originally published October 24, 2018 at 7:31 PM.