Tacoma man accused of raping teen while wearing GPS monitor

Tacoma man accused of raping teen while wearing GPS monitor »Play Video
Henry Hauser
TACOMA, Wash. -- A Tacoma man was being monitored by GPS when he allegedly kidnapped and raped a teenage girl, but investigators say they couldn't track the man because his monitoring device wasn't charged.

Henry Hauser is accused kidnapping a 16-year-old girl and taking her to his home to rape her. Police say on the morning of July 12 Hauser approached the girl and asked for the time. When she reached down to look at her iPod, investigators say he put a knife to her back and forced her into the car.

At the time of the alleged attack, Hauser was being monitored by the Department of Corrections for a prior kidnapping and assault conviction.

He was wearing a GPS monitoring device, but DOC officials couldn't find him because the tracking unit ran out of power.

"That would be a violation of supervision. The expectation is they are to keep it charged at all times," said the DOC's Anmarie Aylward.

DOC officials say it was Hauser's responsibility to keep the device charged and that he's had problems with it in the past. They also say GPS units will not prevent an offender from committing a crime, but simply give the DOC workers information about the whereabouts of the offenders.

"The fact is that this person had offended previously. He was not being compliant and we were working with him on supervision. It's awful," Aylward said.

Hauser is now in jail on rape and kidnapping charges. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges. His bail was set at $1 million.

In the last 20 years, Hauser has felony convictions for kidnapping, harassment and assault.