Dad Serves 20 Years, Kids Deny Sex Abuse

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - Former Washington police officer Clyde Ray Spencer spent nearly 20 years in prison after he was convicted of sexually molesting his son and daughter. Now, nearly 25 years later, the children claim the abuse never happened, according to The Seattle Times .

Kathryn Tetz and Matthew Spencer testified Friday in Clark County, Wash., Superior Court in an effort to clear their father's name.

Matthew, now 33, was 9 years old when he made the allegations. He told a judge that he said he was abused after months of insistent questioning by now-retired Clark County sheriff's detective Sharon Krause just so she would leave him alone.

Tetz, 30, said she doesn't remember what she told Krause back in 1985, but she remembers Krause buying her ice cream. Both children, who now live in Sacramento, Calif., said they realized as adults that the abuse never happened.

They added that their mother, who divorced Spencer before he was charged, told them they were blocking out the memory of the abuse while they were growing up.

Spencer, who had been sentenced to two life terms in prison, had his sentence commuted in 2004 by Gov. Gary Locke after several disturbing facts about the case were uncovered. He hugged his son and daughter after Friday's hearing.

It's not clear what the result of the hearing will lead to for Spencer. In 2007, a Calif. man was awarded $2.75 million to settle a lawsuit that accused Santa Clara County authorities of overzealous prosecution in a controversial murder case that stole nearly 12 years of his life.