‘Deadliest Catch’ Star Captain Sig Hansen Will Not Be Facing Charges Over Alleged Sexual Abuse

The popular Deadliest Catch captain of the F/V Northwestern, Sig Hansen, will not be facing charges of sexually molesting his daughter when she was two years of age. This nearly 30-year-old criminal case was reopened by Snohomish County prosecutors in the state of Washington. The alleged victim, Melissa Eckstrom, now 28-years-old, sued the reality star and crab fisherman over alleged sexual molestation when she a toddler.

The material was reviewed by prosecutors, and they once again determined that Sig Hansen will not be facing charges. The deputy prosecuting attorney, Matthew Baldock, spoke to the Seattle Times advising that they are going to uphold the decision that was originally made nearly three decades ago.

“We have concluded that it’s outside our charging standards and we’re going to maintain our original decision not to charge Mr. Hansen.”

Baldock assured the press that the group did a thorough search of all of the materials, and after careful consideration, determined that their position did not change. They looked at doctor’s records, witness testimonies, and “some additional material that the victim’s attorney provided our office, mostly generated during the civil litigation.”

“It was a thorough review, and after looking at everything, our position remains the same as back in 1990.”

As the Inquisitr previously reported, the court documents included testimony from an ex-boyfriend of Lisa Eckstrom that claimed that she did not want to give up custody of Melissa. He claimed that she intended to do “whatever she could” to prevent a relationship or a bond between Sig and Melissa.

In 1990, Sig Hansen was in the midst of a “contentious divorce” with his then-wife, Lisa Eckstrom. It was documented that the daughter of Lisa and Sig, Melissa, complained to other family members that her father had inappropriately touched her.

Hansen was arrested by police and charged with molesting his two-year-old daughter. This case was reviewed three times in a two-year period of time. Afterward, the divorce was finalized, and Sig gave up all custody of his daughter, Melissa. She has since been estranged from Hansen.

Hansen has since remarried, and his current wife, June, and Sig adopted her two daughters. Many fans of the Discovery Channel show have seen Sig’s youngest daughter, Mandy, featured in several episodes of the Deadliest Catch. Mandy impressed the other members of the F/V Northwestern crew and the millions of Deadliest Catch fans everywhere with her excellent skills in fishing and her abilities as a captain.

Watch Mandy Hansen on Board with Deadliest Catch Crew http://t.co/OP5iHAL2zC via @PeopleMag

— Victoria Fane (@livrago73) January 5, 2015

The attorney for Sig Hansen’s estranged daughter, Lincoln Beuregard, explained that they were not surprised by this decision. The attorney hinted that had the prosecutors included Eckstrom’s testimony, perhaps this verdict would have ended with different results.

“We sort of expected it. Melissa was not optimistic that they would charge him, and we believe they [prosecutors] were professional in how they handled this review. But we are disappointed that they didn’t interview Melissa because we think her testimony is key.”

In a statement made to the press, Sig Hansen repeated his innocence, expressed his satisfaction with the results and repeated that the allegations are not true.

“I am not surprised that the conclusion Snohomish County prosecutors reached today is the same as the one they reached back in 1990. Following that decision, a King County judge ruled — after a six-day trial — that I was innocent of the horrible charges concocted by my ex-wife. The judge and court-appointed experts examined all the of evidence in the case and reached the same conclusion: that the allegations simply were not true.”

Is this entire ordeal over for Sig Hansen? No. The criminal case will not be reopened, but there is still a chance for a possible civil case.

The Discovery Channel has stood behind the Deadliest Catch captain since this lawsuit was made public. In addition, Sig Hansen and his attorneys have created a website, sighansenfacts.com to tell Sig’s side of the story.

Have you been following the child molestation accusations made by Sig Hansen’s estranged daughter?

[Featured Image by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images]