Molester of three boys gets 10-year prison term

A 26-year-old Redmond man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for molesting three boys, including two brothers, who were close family friends.

In King County Superior Court, family members of the victims said they considered Mark A. Kosokoff part of their families, in one instance for 12 years. Both families, who live in Bellevue, said they took Kosokoff on family outings, including an extended vacation to Las Vegas.

"I hate the way that Mark pretended to be a friend," said the mother of one of the boys. "How can you trust people anymore? Now I'm doubting myself from trusting anybody."

A father of one of the victims described how his son, now 18, has neither the desire to graduate from high school nor even the desire to drive a car he recently purchased with summer-vacation job money. Instead, he spends most of his time at home, creating disturbing and violent paintings, the father said.

The Seattle Times is not naming the teenagers or their families to protect their privacy.

Kosokoff pleaded guilty last month to three counts of child molestation, a few days before the scheduled start of his trial. He admitted to molesting the boys between 1995 and last year. Bellevue police began investigating the case in January after the mother of one of the boys came forward with her suspicions. Kosokoff's attorney, Todd Maybrown, said his client wanted help for a long time but didn't know where to go because of the social stigma associated with what he had done.

For several years, Kosokoff volunteered at local schools and an overnight youth sports camp sponsored by the Bellevue Parks Department. Investigators initially suspected he might have molested many more children, though they never confirmed that.

Michael Ko: 206-515-5653 or mko@seattletimes.com.