Official Investigated In Molestation -- Conklin A Former Prosecutor, Candidate

Bob Conklin, a former King County deputy prosecutor, Redmond attorney and mayoral candidate and now Chelan County's chief of corrections, was arrested yesterday in Wenatchee on investigation of child molestation.

Conklin, 49, who ran a law-and-order campaign for Redmond mayor in 1991, was arrested on a King County warrant.

According to Redmond police, the molestation case is based on incidents that allegedly occurred over the past several years and as recently as the past summer, at Conklin's former Redmond residence or his former Bellevue home.

The investigation of Conklin, who moved to Eastern Washington some months earlier, began a week ago, said Redmond police spokesman Ed Billington. "We had a victim's father come forward and say he thought his son was a victim," Billington said. The boy was 13 at the time of the alleged abuse.

Redmond police last night were searching Conklin's home in Wenatchee, and officers had been interviewing potential victims and witnesses.

King County prosecutor spokesman Dan Donohoe said Conklin could face charges today, and Redmond police said other charges could be filed as investigators look into Conklin's activities while he lived in Bellevue.

Chelan County Sheriff Dan Breda, who hired Conklin on Nov. 1 to run the county's jails, made the arrest on a King County warrant.

"The entire office is just flat stunned," Breda said. "There's 100 people here, and there isn't one who isn't shaken to the core."

Conklin was booked last night in the King County Jail.

Conklin's resume lists a number of jobs in law enforcement, including King County corrections officer, King County police officer, FBI agent and Kitsap County deputy prosecutor. He served as a King County deputy prosecutor from 1978 to 1980, Donohoe confirmed.

In 1991 Conklin, then a private attorney, ran for Redmond mayor and lost a primary race by 23 votes to incumbent Doreen Marchione. After his defeat, Conklin started the Citizens for a Better Redmond committee and endorsed Rosemarie Ives, who won the election. The committee later was fined by the state Public Disclosure Committee for violating election laws in its campaign against Marchione.

Conklin told voters that, if elected, he would fire Redmond Police Chief Steve Harris because Harris, in Conklin's view, spent too much time on matters not related to Redmond police work.

Chelan County Sheriff Breda said Conklin told him, when seeking the $36,000-a-year head corrections job, that his law partnership was dissolving and that he wanted to get back to "his first love: corrections and law enforcement. "

Conklin was chosen for the job from a number of applicants.

"Bob is an extraordinarily personable guy," Breda said. "He's extremely articulate. He's very interested in people and a warmhearted individual."

Conklin passed a psychological evaluation and a polygraph test as part of his hiring, Breda said.

After his arrest, Conklin was placed on administrative leave with pay, Breda said.

King County Superior Court records indicate Conklin and his law firm have been in financial trouble the past few years. From 1990 to 1992, records show $80,000 in judgments against Conklin, as well as $1,255 owed for state taxes in 1991 and $6,655 owed for state taxes in 1992.

-- Mary Pols, Times staff reporter, contributed to this report.