High school counselor charged with sex abuse of minor student in Washington: report

A Washington state high school counselor has been arrested on sex abuse charges involving a minor. 

Derik Detweiler, 35, a counselor at Redmond High School, has been accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student. He was arrested on Thursday in Cody, Wyoming, and will be extradited to Washington state, authorities said. 

Police we alerted to the situation last week when the 17-year-old student victim reported Detweiler to Lake Washington School District staff. The Redmond Police Department launched an investigation and reportedly found enough against Detweiler to obtain a warrant for his arrest. 

Redmond Police detectives tracked him to Wyoming and the school counselor was taken into custody by local authorities. Detweiler has been charged with communication with a minor for immoral purposes, second-degree sexual misconduct with a minor, and furnishing liquor to a minor. 

Redmond High School has placed him on administrative leave. He does not appear on the staff directory on the school's website. 

Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe said: "We are thankful to the student for having the courage to come forward, as this relationship likely would have continued. We encourage parents to have conversations with their children that if they hear or see something concerning, they should tell a trusted adult immediately. We also remind parents to monitor their children's social media activity and report anything suspicious." 

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information about the case or other potential victims should contact the Redmond Police Department at 425-556-2500.