Neah Bay man sentenced for sexual abuse of child

TACOMA — A 26-year-old Neah Bay man has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

Jordan James Colfax was sentenced Tuesday to 63 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact.

Colfax was baby-sitting the child on Makah tribal land when the abuse occurred, federal court papers said.

U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle called Colfax’s conduct “monstrous” at the sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, according to a news release.

Settle ordered Colfax to 20 years of supervised release and to undergo mental health and sexual deviancy treatment after his release, according to Tuesday’s judgment.

Colfax was charged in May 2016 with first-degree child rape.

He pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact last April.

Investigators said Colfax abused the child between August 2015 until his arrest in April 2016.

A member of the victim’s family told authorities the child had disclosed she had been sexually abused by Colfax, charging papers said.

The case was investigated by Neah Bay police and the FBI.

Federal authorities have jurisdiction with crimes involving tribal members on tribal lands.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Tate London, one of two tribal liaisons for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

London had recommended a 63-month prison sentence and 20 years of community custody for Colfax.

Colfax was being held Saturday at the federal detention center in SeaTac.

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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.