Opinion ID: 2341603
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Danforth's History of Sex Offenses

Text: ¶ 3 Danforth has a long record of criminal behavior and sex offenses. In 1970, he was arrested for sexually abusing four boys between the ages of 7 and 13. Representative of his abuse of the other boys, Danforth put one boy on a bed, moved on top of him, kissed him, touched the boy's private area, and rubbed the boy's arm against Danforth's private area. Danforth was prosecuted for these offenses, but the case was dismissed for a speedy trial violation. ¶ 4 In 1971, Danforth approached a group of young boys at a ballpark and asked them if they wanted to have sex play. Danforth, 153 Wash.App. at 837, 223 P.3d 1241. Danforth was convicted of indecent liberties for this incident. The court ordered that he be sent for treatment at Western State Hospital. After a short time at Western State Hospital, Danforth was found to be not amenable to treatment and was sent to prison. ¶ 5 In August 1987, Danforth asked a 16-year-old boy and his friend to participate in sexual activity. For this incident, he was charged and convicted of two counts of communication with a minor for immoral purposes. The Court of Appeals later reversed the convictions because it held that former RCW 9.68A.090 (1986) was unconstitutionally vague. [1] This court overruled that holding in State v. McNallie, 120 Wash.2d 925, 933, 846 P.2d 1358 (1993) and affirmed the constitutionality of the statute. ¶ 6 Finally, in the summer of 1987, Danforth hit a 12-year-old boy over the head with a rock, forcibly pulled down the boy's pants and anally raped him, leaving the boy crying behind a theatre. For this, Danforth was convicted of second degree rape and served prison time. He was released in 1996.