Kent man, estranged wife plead not guilty to child rape charges

Published 5:17 pm Tuesday, November 10, 2009

A 36-year-old Kent man and his estranged wife each pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of first-degree rape of a child.

Brian Keith Beston, of Kent, and Hollie Christine Beston, 31, of Burien, entered the pleas at King County Superior Court in Seattle, a King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesman said.

Brian and Hollie Beston also have been charged with first-degree child molestation, sexual exploitation of a minor and dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to charging papers. The child is 4 years old.

The two are in custody at the county jail in Seattle, each on $500,000 bail.

The prosecutor’s office alleges Hollie Beston filmed Brian Beston sexually assaulting the girl, and the images reportedly were sent over the Internet to a man in San Diego.

Seattle Police arrested the couple Oct. 23 after the FBI forwarded information to the officers about a case involving Richard Hockaday, a 38-year-old man facing child-molestation charges in San Diego.

Hockaday told federal investigators that he met the couple over the Internet through a Craigslist advertisement when he posed as a single mother who wanted to meet other single parents in Seattle or San Diego.

According to charging papers, Brian Beston responded to the ad through e-mail and introduced Hollie Beston to Hockaday through e-mail and instant messaging.

Hollie Beston is scheduled to return to court Nov. 24 for a hearing while Brian Beston is scheduled for a Dec. 8 court appearance. A trial date could be set at those hearings or attorneys from either side could ask for more time to prepare the case.