Man arrested for child rape accused of trying to intimidate witnesses

An Ellensburg man accused of child rape is facing additional charges after he allegedly threatened the mother of the 15-year-old girl he was arrested for assaulting.

Dylan James Brogard Jr., 23, was charged with third-degree child rape after an Ellensburg couple walked into their 15-year-old daughter’s bedroom and found Brogard in her bed. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment April 17.

According to court documents, Brogard had snuck into the family’s home March 30.

The couple then discovered Brogard had been sending their daughter messages on Snapchat — using the name “Beep Beep” — after they confiscated the girl’s phone.

Brogard is now facing new charges that include two counts of intimidating a witness.

He made his first appearance on the felony allegations in Kittitas County Superior Court on Monday.

Brogard pleaded not guilty to the two new counts, which will be added to his existing child rape case.

Deputy Prosecutor Zachary Williams asked Judge Chris Herion to prohibit Brogard from contacting the girl’s mother and to impose a higher bail.

“I think shifting the bail to $300,000 seems appropriate,” Williams said.

Defense attorney Dovie Sigle, however, asked for the bail to remain at $150,000.

“He’s not bailing out; there’s no way that he can bail out,” Sigle said.

If bail is increased as suggested, Sigle said the judge might as well keep the defendant in custody without the ability to post bail.

Herion instead pointed to the nature of the case.

“The allegations are very serious,” Herion said.

The potential for substantial danger to the community had been shown, he added, if Brogard did make bail. Herion said bail of $300,000 would be imposed.

The alleged victim’s mother contacted the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office on May 8 and said Brogard had tried to get ahold of her daughter through another person.

The girl’s mother said she was afraid that Brogard would retaliate once he got out of jail because she was the one who called police.

She also said she had gotten a text from Brogard while he was in jail that said: “You want a war you got 1 ill take this to the box do the time get out and get my comupence.”

The woman told police “Brogard was attempting to spell comeuppance, which he was nearly successful in doing,” according to an incident report from the sheriff’s office.

The message had been sent about 9:30 p.m. May 7 on the jail phone system.

A detective later found two other threatening texts sent to the woman by Brogard from the jail.

The first text message said: “Ik you know who this is … and i swear on my life i will havw my revenge.”

He threatened the girl and her parents for “putting me in jail.”

His next message said: “I will be out in 7 months and then its showtime enjoy the peace while it lasts.”

Court documents show another message soon followed, with a text to the child’s mother that said, “See U soon…”

Police asked her to respond to the text, and she did, texting Brogard to stop threatening her and to leave her family alone.

Brogard replied by texting, “The devil on my shoulder will show me to the light and i shall be his punisher of evil.”

The defendant is also being investigated for sending death threats to another person while he has been incarcerated, according to court records.

Brogard’s criminal past includes a Kittitas County case involving cyber harassment.

Brogard was convicted in March 2024 of harassment after he threatened another person on Instagram. The victim in that case said Brogard had been romantically interested in his ex-girlfriend.

The two had been arguing on Instagram and Brogard said he would kill him.