Detectives from SPD’s Sexual Assault Unit arrested a 52-year-old Seattle firefighter Tuesday evening for rape of a child. The firefighter was already on administrative leave after being arrested by Washington State Patrol late last week in an operation targeting sexual predators.
In 2019, the 14-year-old victim met the suspect online. The suspect is alleged to have invited the victim to his Seattle home, plied the victim with alcohol and raped the victim. The victim initially reported the crime to police, but the case soon became stagnant because detectives couldn’t locate or contact the victim to continue the investigation.
When SAU Detectives learned the suspect had been arrested in an Internet Crimes Against Children sting, they revisited the case and successfully located the victim. The victim positively identified the suspect and police arrested the man at his home Tuesday evening. He was booked into the King County Jail for rape of a child.