Former officer facing charges

Whitaker worked for Sequim Police Department

PORT ANGELES — A former police officer is facing felony charges for rape and voyeurism incidents that allegedly occurred in July 2024, when he was working for the Sequim Police Department.

A four-day trial for Christian J. Whitaker, 28, is scheduled to begin on Jan. 12 in Clallam County Superior Court. A status hearing is set for 9 a.m. Nov. 21.

Whitaker was booked and released from Clallam County jail on Sept. 5. No bond was set.

Whitaker worked for the Sequim Police Department from June 16, 2022, until Aug. 27, 2025, according to the city of Sequim.

Whitaker tentatively faces charges for second-degree rape, for which he could serve up to life in prison and be assessed a $50,000 fine; first-degree voyeurism, which carries up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine; and disclosing intimate images, for which he could receive up to 364 days in prison and a $5,000 fine.

According to the probable cause statement from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, a woman reportedly in a relationship with Whitaker told detective Alan Jorgensen on July 16 that on July 1, 2024, she was drugged and sexually assaulted in Whitaker’s residence.

The woman told law enforcement she went to Whitaker’s house about 7:40 p.m., drank two shots of vodka and awoke the next morning to signs of a possible sexual encounter.

She told the detective she couldn’t move correctly, and she was worried about getting home to her children.

According to court documents, Whitaker offered her water and handed the woman her pants, which were covered in urine.

Once home, she told law enforcement she was violently sick, saw flashing lights, and had muscle spasms and cramps.

She told Jorgensen she struggled to use her phone but eventually called a friend, who convinced her to call 911. The woman was transported to Olympic Medical Center, according to court documents.

“OMC tested (her) urine but reported that type of testing would not show any date rape drugs, and OMC only had a limited ability to test for those types of drugs,” according to the probable cause document.

She told law enforcement she remembered looking at the wall clock at 8:49 p.m. on July 1 and woke up at 6:52 a.m. July 2.

In his interview with Jorgensen, Whitaker said the woman drank three to four shots and they engaged in sexual activity.

According to court documents, Whitaker sent two photos and a video of the woman to a friend.

Whitaker “admitted that (she) did not consent to the filming or sending of the video,” the probable cause statement reads.

Court documents further stated that Whitaker said he went into “caretaker mode.” He said he had previous medical experience and knew he needed to be sure she did not aspirate her vomit.

Judge Simon Barnhart signed a no contact order between Whitaker and the woman on Sept. 5.

Sequim city staff said Whitaker had no grievances from or against him during his tenure with the Sequim Police Department.

According to his resignation letter to Police Chief Mike Hill, Whitaker said his decision to resign came “after careful consideration, as I seek different work challenges and environments that align more closely with my current personal and professional goals.”

Jefferson County Undersheriff Brandon Przygocki said in an interview that his office investigated to keep the case objective so that no one investigating the allegations had worked with Whitaker in the past.

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John Barcellos, 61, left, next to his defense attorney John Hayden, was sentenced to 77 months in prison on Nov. 18 in Clallam County Superior Court for threatening to kill four children and attempting to elude law enforcement more than two years ago in a Sequim church parking lot. (Clallam County)
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