SPOKANE COUNTY, WA — A Spokane County man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury convicted him of molesting two young boys.
According to court records, Ryan J. Herman, 32, was sentenced Thursday in Spokane County Superior Court on three counts of first-degree child molestation involving two victims who were ages 7 and 9 or 10 at the time of the abuse. A jury found Herman guilty in November and returned three special verdicts determining he used a position of trust to commit the crimes.
Court documents and trial testimony state the abuse began in the spring of 2018 and occurred on multiple occasions while the children were in Herman’s care. Herman, a friend of the boys’ mother, reportedly watched the children in his camper in the Medical Lake area. The abuse was disclosed years later when the boys told a family member, who reported the allegations to law enforcement.
During sentencing, prosecutors asked the court to impose a life sentence under Washington’s persistent offender law, citing Herman’s prior convictions for first-degree rape of a child and first-degree child molestation. Defense attorneys requested a lesser sentence, arguing the court should consider Herman’s age at the time of the offenses.
Superior Court Judge Annette Plese granted the state’s request and imposed a life sentence without parole. The court also ordered Herman to have no contact with the victims for life and to register as a sex offender for life.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Dallas Montaño handled the case. Prosecutors credited the work of victim-witness advocates, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, and lead detective Roman Maier in the investigation and prosecution.
