Former Zillah Mayor Gary Clark Faces Sentencing for Child Rape Charges

The former mayor of Zillah, Gary Clark faces sentencing next month on child-rape and indecent exposure charges after being arrested by Union Gap Police in 2021. Clark plead guilty in Yakima County Superior Court on February 13. He faces sentencing on charges of first-degree child rape and one count of indecent exposure. As a result of the plea deal two counts of first-degree child rape and a charge of indecent exposure were dropped from the case.

CLARK WILL BE SENTENCED UNDER A SENTENCING ALTERNATIVE

The plea deal allows Clark to be sentenced under the Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative to a year in jail and life on community custody. He'll also required to receive sex offender treatment.

PROSECUTORS SAY THE CHARGES ARE THE RESULT OF AN ALLEGED INCIDENT

According to the Yakima County Prosecutor's Office the charges are the result of an alleged incident in which prosecutors say Clark sexually assaulted a woman when she was between the age of 4 and 8-years-old. Court documents say the assaults happened numerous times when she and her family would visit his Zillah home.
The woman reported the assaults to police after learning Clark had been charged with the sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl in Union Gap in 2021. Police say the girl's mother told them Clark, the woman's landlord had molested her daughter while fixing things at the house. Authorities say the crime was caught on security cameras.

CLARK IS NOW BEING HELD IN THE COUNTY JAIL

Clark had been out of bail since the initial charges were filed in 2021 but he's now sitting in the Yakima County jail awaiting sentencing.
Clark served as Mayor and as a city council member but lost his mayor position after being defeated in 2017.