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Court documents reveal shocking details in Lake Stevens child molestation case
Newly obtained police documents are revealing shocking details in a child molestation investigation at a Lake Stevens child care center.
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LAKE STEVENS, Wash. - Newly obtained police documents are revealing disturbing new details in a child molestation investigation at a Lake Stevens childcare center, including allegations involving multiple toddlers.
When the investigation first became public about a month ago, the only information available was an apology letter from the daycare and confirmation of at least one potential victim. The newly released documents now indicate there could have been as many as four toddlers involved.
The backstory:
The 68-page incident report from the Lake Stevens Police Department contains allegations that are too graphic to publish in full.
What can be reported is that in January 2026, supervisors at Country Dawn Preschool and Childcare told authorities they observed their coworker, Strange Wahl, touching the genitals of at least four toddlers while changing diapers. The children were no older than two-and-a-half years old, according to the report.
Wahl, 27, was arrested and now faces charges of child molestation and rape.
Coworkers describe "abnormally long" diaper changes
Dig deeper:
According to interviews detailed in the report, coworkers told police the concerns first arose after they noticed suspicious behavior.
They said diaper changes began taking an "abnormally long time." Coworkers also reported that Wahl "frequently talked about sexual assault," bringing it up unexpectedly in conversation.
They told investigators they ultimately witnessed Wahl touching children’s genitals in a way that was not appropriate.
Parents report behavioral changes at home
In the report, Wahl has "denied any poking or examination."
Around the same time, however, parents told police their children’s behavior changed at home. One mother said her child became hesitant during routine diaper changes and cleaning, telling her, "No, don’t do that."
Polygraph results and past allegations
Police documents state that once in custody, Wahl took a polygraph test and failed on the questions regarding touching children for sexual gratification.
Investigators also brought up numerous allegations already made against Wahl of past abuse. According to the report, she claimed she did not know anything about it.
Day care response and calls for transparency
What they're saying:
The daycare has condemned the actions and said nothing like this has ever happened in its decades of business.
Email correspondence sent to parents and shared with FOX 13 Seattle since the story first made headlines shows the daycare has started offering families counseling support. Parents were also notified all staff attended a mandatory reporter training.
One concerned parent told FOX 13 Seattle the trust is broken and said the daycare needs to be as publicly transparent as possible, adding that now is the time to be honest.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Lauren Donovan.