Bail set at $3 million for accused serial rapist

SEATTLE -- Bail was set at $3 million for the prominent Seattle lawyer accused of sexually assaulting at least three local massage therapists.

Police arrested 47-year-old Danford D. Grant Monday night just after 9:30 p.m. near the Carnation Massage Clinic on NW 85th Street. A clinic employee told police Grant raped her at knife point roughly one month earlier, and on Monday night he returned and again tried to sexually assault her.

After the arrest, a detective working the case was contacted by a Bellevue police detective who said a rape victim from Bellevue had positively identified Grant from a photo line up. In that case a man matching Grant's description allegedly raped a massage therapist at knife point.

The victim in the Bellevue case told police a client by the name of "Daniel" came in for an appointment just after 8 p.m. On August 28. The woman said Daniel had received massages at the business a number of times, and each time he used a different name.

During the massage, the therapist said Daniel said he wanted to marry her and that he "would take care of her and he had lots of money," according to court documents. He also told her that he knew her home address and her husband's name. When the woman declined his advances, she said Daniel took a knife from his jacket pocket and raped her.

The Bellevue victim also said the same man raped a different massage therapist two years earlier, but the woman didn't report it because she was not a licensed therapist and didn't want to get in legal trouble.

In an exclusive interview with KOMO News, another massage therapist said Grant tried to rape her in July. She said the experience has proven so traumatic that she hasn't been able to return to the Greenwood clinic where the alleged incident took place.

"I hate him," said the woman, whom KOMO News has chosen to identify only as "Sunny." "I want him to go to jail. He's so bad for women."

Sunny, who is Chinese, has been in the U.S. for just a few years. She mostly spoke to KOMO News in English, but also did have the help of an interpreter.

When Sunny was shown a photo of Grant, she immediately recognized him.

"I know this bad guy for me. He do bad things," she said.

Sunny said she was giving the suspected rapist a massage back in July at Carnation Health Clinic when she says he started sexually assaulting her. He kept one hand on her neck, choking her, while the other moved to her waist, according to Sunny.

"So then he was trying to take off her pants," Sunny's interpreter said.

That, Sunny says, gave her the chance to scream, which startled the man.

"He said, 'Oh, what happened? I'm crazy. I never do this. I'm sorry for this,' he said," said Sunny.

The man left, Sunny said, and a friend encouraged her to report the attack a few days later.

During the investigation, a Seattle detective learned of another massage therapist who said she was raped inside her home in August. That woman, who used to work at the Carnation Massage Clinic but has since started a business out of her home, told police a man broke into her house and raped her on August 19.

With help from a Mandarin interpreter, the victim identified Grant from a photo lineup. She said Grant came to her house to ask for a massage. When she said no, he allegedly forced his way inside, breaking the chain lock inside the door.

The woman said Grant then put his hands around her neck and covered her mouth so she couldn't scream, according to court documents. Grant allegedly said he just wanted a massage, but the victim said he forced her into a back room, where he raped her.

Grant made his first court appearance on Wednesday, where his bail was set at $3 million.