AMY'S TESTIMONY
(Victim/niece)

[Christopher John Shelly, aka Chris Shelley, of Bellingham Washington should not be confused with Chris A. Shelley in the nearby city of Vancouver, BC.]

Chris Shelly is my uncle. He lives next door to us. I was ten years old and he touched me. The first time was at my house in the living room. I had on shorts and a T-shirt because it was summer just after the fourth of July. He touched me between the legs over my clothes. The second time was after school started after Halloween and I was at his house. It was in the evening and nobody else was home. He stood me on the kitchen table and took my pants down. He touched my vagina with his hand and then put his mouth on my vagina and put his tongue in me. (This is why Shelly was originally charged with rape of a child.) He had his penis out and was playing with himself. My mom knocked on the door and I pulled my pants up and got off of the table onto the floor. And my mom saw me and told me to get home. I told my dad after my mom talked to him about it. I had no problem with him after that because my dad had talked to him about it. 
     On Thursday 8-9-90 my friends and I went to Lake Paddon with Chris Shelly. Ginny and Ryan were at the lake for awhile and wanted to go home so he suggested we go to the river. When we got there it was a nude beach and he told Ryan to take off his clothes so Ginny and I would. We all got undressed. There were other people there and we stayed in the water. When we got out of the river he covered us up with sand and put rocks on our chests for tits and a stick between our legs for weiners. I don't remember him taking any pictures. 
     The next day Friday we went to the river nude beach early and no one else was around. He took pictures of us. He had us pose for him. He talked about his guns for a bit. He told us he could sell the pictures he took of us for lots of money. He didn't say where he could sell them, but I think to Ross, his friend. [Ross Rowell, owner of Great Northern Books porn shop] He didn't touch me either day except to smooth the sand over me at the river but he took about twenty pictures of us. One between Ginny's legs and move the sticks around. Ryan said Amy and Ginny were laying in the sun and Shelly was laying at their feet looking up at them. Ryan said he saw Shelly looking up at them. Ryan said he saw Shelly push the camera over so it was positioned between Ginny's legs and snap the picture. Ginny said the three of them got mad and told Shelly to destroy the picture. Shelly told them that the pictures would turn out blurry anyway. The camera Shelly was using was a polaroid type and when the picture was -developed he refused to destroy it. Ryan said he was mad about what was happening so he wrapped himself up in a towel and went off by himself for awhile. Ryan said when he came back Ginny and Amy were upset so everyone decided to leave. Ginny said Shelly started talking about how he could sell the pictures and add them to his collection. Ginny said he had taken a whole stack of pictures and told them not to tell their parents. Amy said on Friday her uncle took them to the beach again but there wasn't anybody there. Amy said her uncle had them take off their clothes again and he buried them in the sand. Amy said nothing else happened on Friday because they didn't feel comfortable with nobody else there so they left early.

RYAN'S TESTIMONY
(Boy victim)
The first time I met Chris Shelly was on Thursday 8-9-90 and I went to Lake Paddon and to the river with him and Ginny and her friend Amy. When we got to the river it was a nude beach. He told us to take our clothes off and we didn't want to. He scared me cause he always talked about his guns. I took my clothes off and went into the water. We all did. When we got out of the water he covered us with sand and he touched me in the privates with a stick through the sand. He was taking pictures of us and had us pose for him. I saw him put the camera up between my sister's legs. He kind of snuck it up and took a picture. We wanted it back but he wouldn't give it to us. We went to the same place on Friday and the same thing happened to us. He took pictures. I was afraid because he always talked about his guns.

GINNY TESTIMONY
(Girl Victim)
The first day I met Chris Shelly was last Thursday 8-9-90. My brother Ryan and I went to Lake Paddon with my friend Amy and Chris. We were bored and Chris said why don't we go to the river in Everson. So we did. When we got there it was a nude beach and we didn't want to take off our clothes. He told us about his guns and stuff and then Ryan took off his clothes so we all did. We then went into the water. Chris had a camera and told us to pose for him. He always talked about his guns and we got scared so we posed for him. When we were all in the river he touched my breasts and my butt. He had his clothes off too. He also covered us with sand and touched my breasts smoothing out the sand. He took pictures of us in the nude and at one time put the camera up so he took a picture between my legs. I told him I wanted it back but he told me no. He told me he could sell the pictures underground. He took lots of pictures. I don't know how many he took but about 20 or so. I didn't know what to do because we had no way home.

ROBERT SCHMIDT, SHERIFF, WHATCOM COUNTY
I responded to Ohio and Cornwall where I contacted Sgt. Franklin and Bowhay. They had Christopher Shelly in custody. Shelly gave Bowhay consent to search his Dodge Dart. This deputy along with Sgt. Franklin searched his vehicle for polaroid photographs which were not found. Ross Asa Rowell and Marc C. Hubbard were present at the time the vehicle was searched.

J. PARKS
BELLINGHAM POLICE OFFICER
Sgt. Geddes related to me that there is a concern that the two families may have contact with the suspect before law enforcement does, and that he may become aware that he has been found out. He is supposed to be in possession of a number of polaroid photographs that he could destroy if tipped off by the angry family. 
     Due to the possible destruction of evidence, I issued a warrant for Shelly's arrest for exploitation and molestation charges. A consent to search should be obtained if possible for the polaroids and other sexually explicit material, both in suspect's car and apartment. Records indicate that Shelly lives in unit 5 at 103 West 1st, Everson. He also is associated with the owner of Great Northern Books, according to the family.

D. MILLER
BELLINGHAM POLICE OFFICER
I responded to the above location to take a report of a sex crime. Charles, Amy's father said his daughter had been molested by his brother Chris Shelly so I contacted Amy who said the problem started two summers ago. Amy said her Uncle Shelly had been babysitting and told her to get undressed and climb on the table. Amy said she was scared but did what he said. Amy said her uncle had been touching her and licking her vagina. Amy said he then took his penis out and began masturbating. Charles said he confronted his brother about the incident. Charles said he made the mistake of believing his brother. 
     Amy said on Thursday her uncle came by and offered to take her and Ginny and Ryan to the lake. Amy said her uncle started talking about going to a river in Nooksack so they all went with him. On the way Amy said her uncle stopped at his apartment to pick up his camera. Amy said they went to the river which turned out to be a nude beach. Ryan said Shelly told him to take off his clothes and not to be chicken. Ryan said he told Shelly he didn't feel comfortable about taking off his clothes in front of the girls. Ryan said Shelly told him if he didn't take off his clothes then the girls wouldn't. Ryan said Shelly began talking about handguns he owned but not really threatening him but it scared him so he took off his clothes. Ryan said Shelly then began harassing the girls about taking off their clothes until they also removed their clothing. Ryan said they went swimming in the river and Shelly began taking pictures of them. Ginny said that while they were swimming they were playing on a tree suspended approximately 3 ft. off the water. Ginny said she was hanging from it and Shelly kept touching her butt and lifting her up. Amy and Ginny said Shelly kept trying to get them to pose with their legs spread apart so he could take pictures but they kept telling him no. Ginny said at one point Shelly buried the three of them in the sand. Ginny said he would slowly rub sand over her chest and then quickly cover her stomach and then slowly cover her hip area. Amy said while the girls were buried in the sand Shelly would put sticks between their

CHRIS SHELLY'S WRITTEN STATEMENT TO POLICE
About 2 years ago or more, my brother Charles accused me of messing around with his daughter Amy [she was 9 or 10]. Amy used to ask me for money, so I told her if she cleaned the house I would give her my change. During this time Amy was in my bedroom fully dressed and looking for change. Amy's mother Jane knocked on the door and I answered it. Charles then accused me of messing around with Amy and stated he knew that I had Amy take her clothes off. Charles and I talked about the accusations. I told Charles that I would go to the Teddy Bare Cove or the Nooksack River [both nude beaches right outside Bellingham] if I want to look at nude bodies. Amy at no time had her clothes off in my house. Charles told me that I could not be alone with Amy anymore and I agreed to those conditions. 
     On Thursday and Friday, I took Amy, Ginny, and Ryan to the public nude beach at the river. When we got to the beach, I told them that I was going swimming in the nude and if they wanted to go swimming in the nude it was up to them. I always talk about my guns but I did not force Amy, Ginny, or Ryan to take their clothes off. They all took their clothes off on their own free will. I did take photos of all three when they were hanging on a tree limb. I was swinging them and Ginny said, "I need to get a better grip," so I lifted her by supporting her butt until she got better hold. I did it a couple of times because they kept falling off. There were some other people at the beach during this time. I did lift all three kids up by the butt when they fell off. I don't know who the other people were out on the beach. When I took the photos I did not tell the kids, Ginny or Amy, to pose with their legs open. I told them to pose how they wanted to. I did take a photo of Ginny while she was putting suntan lotion on. I did bury the kids in the sand. We all put sticks by their knees but I did not make any sexual gestures with the sticks. I did position the camera between Ginny's legs and take a picture. Ginny looked at the picture and gave it back. I did tell them that the picture would be blurry, but it wasn't. I did not tell the kids that I was going to sell the pictures. I did tell the kids not to tell their parents because I did not want them to get into trouble. 
     We all then decided to leave and go home. On Friday when we went to the river I did bury the kids in the sand. The kids did feel uncomfortable so we left. Amy has a habit of making up stories and cannot keep a secret. She tends to stretch the truth. END

More on Shelley

BACK TO NUDIST/NATURIST HALL OF SHAME