James Albert Warning - Repeat Sex Offender - This time a 4 year old

A handyman accused of showing his genitals to a 4-year-old girl while working at her Seattle home is facing charges after his arrest while hiking near Stampede Pass.

In court documents, police assert that James Albert Warning, 56, was installing a fireplace door on July 8 at the family home when he approached the 4-year-old. At the time, the girl was alone in the living room with Warning; a nanny and another child were in the South Seattle home at the time.

The girl told her parents, and later police, that Warning displayed his genitals to her and asked her to remove her clothing, according to court documents. The girl's parents contacted police that evening, then phoned again the next day after learning Warning was a registered sex offender.

That registration, police say, stems from a 1988 incident in which Warning was convicted of luring a 6-year-old girl into his truck by offering her a dog. According to police, he then exposed himself to the girl and, when she would not remove her clothing, choked the girl before dropping her at a Sammamish-area trail.

Warning served 15 years in prison for that offense, prosecutors said in court documents. He was released in 2003.

Seattle police tried to contact Warning two days after the girl's parents called in the report. Warning was not found, and three days later Warning's family reported him missing.

His family told police Warning had bought hiking and camping equipment on July 11 before disappearing. Police learned that Warning had purchased additional items at Snoqualmie Pass on Tuesday. Following a bulletin, Kittitas County sheriff's deputies arrested Warning hiking the John Wayne Trail near Stampede pass.

Questioned by Seattle detectives, Warning allegedly said he planned to hike to Vantage and was "taking it a day at a time." He left his belongings behind, he allegedly said, because he "didn't need it in prison."

According to jail records, Warning was employed by the Finish Company at the time of his arrest.

Warning was ordered held in King County Jail on $500,000 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on a single count of indecent exposure on July 30.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte