Centralia man charged with sexually abusing 15-year-old girl

By Emily Fitzgerald / [email protected]

A Centralia man accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl between April and May 2024 was arraigned Thursday in Lewis County Superior Court.

A Centralia High School counselor reported the sexual assault to Child Protective Services, which referred the case to Centralia police on May 17, court records show.

When questioned, the suspect, John Clinton Unterwegner, 44, allegedly said he couldn’t remember anything because he had passed out from drinking, according to court documents. He allegedly told an officer he was taking a drinking class and trying to get better.

Unterwegner was charged with a Class C felony on Thursday, July 11.

The case was initially heard in Centralia Municipal Court, but was dismissed and retried as a criminal case, according to defense attorney Rachael Tiller.

Lewis County Jail records show he was arrested at 12:50 p.m. on Sunday, July 14, and booked into jail on $40,000 bail.

His preliminary hearing took place on Monday, July 15, in Lewis County Superior Court, where a judge decided to keep the $40,000 bail set in the arrest warrant.

The arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, July 18.

There is a no-contact order to protect the victim. Unterwegner’s release conditions include provisions that prohibit him from having any contact with children and prevent him from visiting places where children are present, such as schools and playgrounds.