The King County Prosecutor’s Office is currently examining charges against an Issaquah woman who made false sexual assault claims against Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett and other officers.
The 44-year-old woman made rape accusations against Mylett in August, leading the city to place him on paid administrative leave for two months until the claims were deemed unfounded on Oct. 22. The Bothell police investigation found no probable cause or substantial evidence Mylett had ever even been in contact with the woman.
“Fortunately after a lengthy and comprehensive investigation, the truth has been revealed,” said an emotional Mylett at a press conference in Bellevue City Hall. “I was shocked because I’ve never met this person, I had no idea why she would make the accusations that she made.”
The woman has a history of seeking out men on Craigslist and falsely reporting her consensual encounters as a crime, according to a King County Sheriff’s Office investigation. She had also made assault and rape claims against two Bellevue officers that were dismissed in early October, after one had spent 49 days in jail. Both officers resigned following the allegations.
“I think that they are moving forward as well, and we wish them the best of luck,” Mylett said during the press conference.
Previously, investigators did not recommend false accusation charges against the woman because of her mental state, court documents say, but Bothell detectives forwarded multiple charges to the King County Prosecutor’s Office for review following the Mylett investigation.
“After careful review, there is no credible or reliable evidence that the accuser was the victim of a sexual assault by Chief Mylett, or the two ever had any contact of the nature described,” the office wrote in a statement. “Furthermore, the investigation appears to have uncovered evidence that the accuser may have fabricated evidence in this case. We will continue to work with Bothell Police Department to further examine that potential crime.”
Bothell investigators found probable cause that the woman committed perjury, tampered with evidence and made a false statement to a public servant. It is unclear if the woman will ultimately be charged, as of the Reporter’s Tuesday deadline.
“I think people should be held accountable for their actions,” Mylett said at the conference. “I think the process of the claims that were made against me worked. I think another process will take place, and I’m confident that the right decisions will be made.”
The woman falsely claimed that Mylett had raped her in 2016 after meeting him on a BDSM website for people seeking “aggressive” sex, according to court documents. She alleged they agreed to meet at his home in Bothell for a bondage encounter without intercourse, but Mylett violated those terms while she was restrained.
The investigation revealed Mylett and his wife were no longer living in Bothell at the time of the alleged crime. The woman also provided samples for DNA testing, but Mylett was eliminated as a potential match.
“This has been a hard time for both me and my family, and we’re eager to have the investigation behind us,” Mylett said in a press release. “I’m eager to get back to work, serving residents and leading the outstanding women and men of the Bellevue Police Department.”
Mylett was reinstated within hours of his exoneration.
“There’s a lot of work to do and I’m ready to dive back in,” Mylett said at the conference. “I have a deeper appreciation of what it means to be falsely accused and I also have a deeper appreciation of what it’s like to be on administrative leave. I think it will make me a better chief and a better human being.”
Mylett added his family and his faith carried him through the difficult months “in ways that I will never be able to express through words.”