Video of a store leads to the arrest of a man accused of raping an underage girl during a day trip to Sudden Valley

An investigation by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office has led to the arrest of a Whatcom County man accused of giving an underage girl alcohol and then raping her.

Authorities identified a suspect and arrested 24-year-old John Ephrim-Michael Rodgers on July 1.

The alleged victim, 15, said she met Rodgers in person in Sudden Valley on May 6 after communicating online. The two were hiking on a trail in the woods when Rodgers overpowered and raped the girl, according to Deb Slater of the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office received reports of the incident on May 21 and began investigating. The victim did not know the name of her attacker, but was able to provide investigators with a photo of him and details of a social media account. According to Slater, she also showed investigators where the attack took place.

A second girl, also 15, told investigators that she had also had contact with the same man and that the conversations included offensive comments and photos.

On June 2, investigators had evidence that identified Rodgers as a suspect.

Investigators were able to find surveillance video from a convenience store that showed a man matching Rodgers’ description taking two bottles of alcohol and leaving the store without paying. Slater said they found probable cause to arrest Rodgers.

Rodgers was found at a Bellingham homeless shelter on July 1. He was detained by Bellingham police and arrested by WCSO detectives.

Rodgers was arrested on suspicion of second-degree rape, two counts of contact with a minor for immoral purposes, furnishing alcohol to a minor and third-degree theft.

He had been in custody at the Whatcom County Jail since July 3.