Bellevue Police Chief Cleared in Sexual Assault Claim; Accuser May Face Charges

A woman's claim that she was sexually assaulted by Bellevue's police chief two years ago was unfounded and a fraud, a Bothell police investigation has determined.

The woman made the claim on July 30 to Bothell Police that Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett had sexually assaulted her in the fall of 2016.

However, investigators concluded that not only was there no evidence of a crime, but there was no proof the woman had ever had any contact with Mylett. A DNA test proved Mylett was not involved in the case, and investigators uncovered evidence that emails purported to have shown contact between the accuser and Mylett had been doctored.

The woman had also accused two other Bellevue Police officers in sexual assaults but both of those cases were later dropped when investigators also discovered evidence had been fabricated and determined the accuser lacked credibility.  (KOMO 4 News, October 22, 2018)
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These types of false allegations are a very serious problem. Not only can they destroy the lives and careers of those falsely accused, but they also cause good people to question the legitimacy of any such allegation - resulting in actual victims of crimes being disbelieved.

Chief Mylett has said that the experience has given him a "deeper appreciation of what it's like to be falsely accused". He was initially shocked when the woman accused him because he had never met her, and that he suffered fear and anxiety throughout the three-month investigation, even knowing that he had done nothing wrong. 

Unfortunately, it's not too difficult to fabricate electronic evidence or cause it to point to someone you want to target. Combine this with errors or a political agenda in an investigation and good people who have done nothing wrong can have their lives destroyed by false allegations.

Thankfully for Chief Mylett his good name and reputation has been cleared. But can the damage from the false allegations really ever be undone?

Operating in Hostile and Non-Permissive Environments:
A Survival and Resource Guide for Those Who Go in Harm’s Way

 

Military personnel deployed to a combat area, their supporting contractors overseas, government civilian employees overseas, non-government organizations (NGOs), journalists working on international stories, businesses attempting to establish a foothold in developing countries, and individual travelers to remote areas of the world can all find themselves in hostile and non-permissive environments. This guide covers a broad range of subjects that are intended to aid individuals, living and working in dangerous areas, in being safer in their daily lives and in being better able to protect themselves and survive in case of an emergency, disaster, or hostile action.