Ferndale man pleads not guilty to 10 counts of child molestation, rape

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — A Ferndale man accused of 10 counts of child sex crimes involving five children pleaded not guilty in Whatcom County Superior Court.

The Bellingham Herald reports that 41-year-old Mark Courtenay Fraley was charged with multiple counts of child rape, incest and child molestation.

A sexual assault protection order for all alleged victims was entered in court Friday morning.

Fraley's trial was set for December 4.

The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office has been investigating Fraley for claims of child sex abuse since December 2012.

Court records say the alleged abuse of the five children ranges from February 2011 to as late as September 2015.