Bellevue police chief cleared of sexual assault charges, immediately reinstated

Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett was cleared of claims of sexual assault, following a three-month investigation by the neighboring city of Bothell’s own police department.

RELATED: Charges dropped against Bellevue cop due to ‘sophisticated ruse’

Mylett was placed on administrative leave in August, following allegations of sexual assault from an Issaquah woman who levied similar accusations against two other Bellevue police officers.

The charges against those two officers were dismissed earlier in October, as part of what court documents cited as a “sophisticated ruse” on the woman’s part. Prosecutors noted that the woman previously issued false rape allegations in 2009 and 2010, stemming from consensual encounters with men she met on Craiglist, that she later reported as sexual assault.

Now that he’s been officially cleared, Mylett will be reinstated immediately.

“They have zero evidence that Mylett even met this woman, and also evidence that she made up the allegations,” said KIRO Radio’s Hanna Scott.

“This has been a hard time for both me and my family, and we’re eager to have the investigation behind us,” said Chief Mylett in a news release on Bellevue’s city website. “I’m eager to get back to work, serving residents and leading the outstanding women and men of the Bellevue Police Department.”

The allegations against Mylett originally came to light when investigators were pouring through text messages between the Issaquah woman and Officer John Kivlin, where she stated that she previously had sex with his boss.

When Kivlin asked who she meant, the woman texted back, “it’s your boss … boss,” suggesting Mylett. The specific criminal allegations against Mylett were not made public, but the investigation was handled by the Bothell Police Department (where the crime was alleged to occur).

As of now, charges of false reporting will not be pursued against the woman.

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