Zillah’s Ex-Mayor Gary Clark Faces Trial on Serious Criminal Charges

The former mayor of Zillah, Gary Clark faces trial next month on child-rape and indecent exposure charges after being arrested by Union Gap Police in 2021.

CLARK FACES A HOST OF CHARGES FROM TWO SEPARATE ALLEGED INCIDENTS

Trial is set for June 24 in Yakima County Superior Court. Yakima County Prosecutor Joe Brusic says Clark is facing four counts of first-degree child rape charges and two charges of indecent exposure.

PROSECUTORS SAY THERE ARE TWO VICTIMS

Three of the charges of child rape are the result of an alleged incident in which prosecutors say Clark sexually assaulted a woman when she was between the age of 4 and 8-years-old. Court documents say the assaults happened numerous times when she and her family would visit his Zillah home. The woman reported the assaults to police after learning Clark had been charged with the sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl in Union Gap in 2021. Police say the girl's mother told them Clark, the woman's landlord had molested her daughter while fixing things at the house. Authorities say the crime was caught on security cameras.

WHY HAS IT TAKEN SO LONG FOR TRIAL TO BEGIN?

Brusic says a number of changes to the case and changes to prosecutors handling the case have delayed the trial. Many trials were impacted by the delays caused by the pandemic as well.

CLARK LOST IS BID FOR MAYOR AND THE CHARGES FOLLOWED

Mayor and as a city council member but lost his mayor position after being defeated in 2017.
He's been out of bail since the initial charges were filed in 2021. As part of his conditions of release he's been required to check-in with the court twice a month.