Convicted Rapist Arrested Again In U-District Attack

Share

By By Tracy Vedder

Summary

Curtis Thompson, an eight-time convicted felon, might have his third strike after police say he attacked two women in the University District Monday night.

Story Published: Aug 24, 2004 at 9:30 AM PDT

Story Updated: Jul 24, 2009 at 11:44 AM PDT

Convicted Rapist Arrested Again In U-District Attack
SEATTLE - Prosecutors said a convicted sex offender would attack again and now police think he has. Only this time, it was all caught on surveillance tape.

When Curtis Thompson raped four women in 1985, there were no witnesses. But this time, police say the crime happened in full view of a surveillance camera outside a University District apartment building.

The building's doors are kept locked. But, on the tape, you can see two women outside the back door smoking.

Police say Thompson approached them, pushing his way inside. And they say he was immediately violent.

"He punched her in the face," describes Seattle Police Officer Scott Moss.

The 45-year-old Thompson is 6 feet 3 inches, and weighs 220 pounds. He's a big man. The tape shows us another tenant walking inside while the attack is happening. But off camera when the he tried to help, Thompson punched him as well, then forced one of the women to take her blouse off.

"Then he threatened to kick her head through the wall if she didn't do so," adds Officer Moss.

Prosecutors say even though Thompson completed an 18-year prison term, they wanted him committed as a violent sexual predator. A psychologist called him a sexual sadist.

But last fall, a jury decided Thompson should be released.

He is listed as a level three sex offender, which means they could be at a high risk to reoffend.

Thompson lives in a small boarding house just five blocks away from the apartment building where the attack occurred.

Roommate Stephen Vaughn had doubts about Thompson right away. And then police distributed the warning flyer listing Thompson as a Level III offender.

"Once I got this notification, I knew my suspicions were justified," he said.

But no one at this apartment where the attack occurred saw the notification. When Thompson approached the women, no one knew of his past. <>P> This time, tenants called 911 and the victim broke away, and police arrested him.

But resident Jayme Chiu wonders why Thompson was out in the first place.

"What kind of system do we have in place here? That's just not appropriate," she said.

Police are just thankful that this time there was an arrest before anything worse happened.

The King County Prosecutor's Office says it intends to file the most serious felony charges possible against Thompson, who is being held for investigation of kidnapping, assault and robbery.

Police believe he is a three strikes candidate and if convicted, could go to prison for the rest of his life.