Hours before he was likely to face a jury on allegations that he sexually assaulted an employee, a West Seattle contractor -- and registered sex offender -- opted to fold.
Robert Dehaan, 62, pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted rape and assault with a sexual motivation, admitting to attempting to force himself upon a male employee on Sept. 1, 2008, a King County Prosecutor's Office spokesman said. At the time of the assault, Dehaan was already facing charges on allegations that he had inappropriate contact with three teenage boys. Dehaan previously pleaded guilty in that case.According to court filings, an adult employee at Dehaan's firm, Alpine Construction, called Seattle police on Sept. 2, 2008, to report Dehaan's unwanted advances.
The man told police Dehaan had offered him a project manager's position with the firm two months before the assault, offering him a $100,000 annual salary as well as a food and housing stipend while working in Hawaii. Dehaan, the man told officers, said he only needed to meet to sign an employment packet.
"(The man) felt that this was an incredible opportunity for him and felt that his wife and children would be well taken care of," Detective Maria S. Ditusa said in court documents. "He thought that it was an offer of a lifetime."
Arriving at Dehaan's home office the evening of Sept. 1, the man said Dehaan instead offered him "a salary to be his sexual companion while traveling."
The man refused Dehaan's offer and turned to leave when Dehaan grabbed him from behind, according to police. The contractor then threw his intended victim on a table and attempted to sexually assault him; the man was able to throw a drink in Dehaan's face and escape.
In interviews with detectives, the man said he suspected Dehaan may have spiked the soda pop he'd served his intended victim. The man said he could not recall the four hours after the assault.
The day after the assault, the man said he received a threatening phone call from Dehaan. His would-be employer, the man said, threatened to shoot him if he called the police.
In court documents, Ditusa noted that the attack matched with other incidents in which Dehaan has been accused in which he offered to pay for sex.
"He committed this crime in the same manner of which he has attempted and committed many other incidents of sexual misconduct," the detective told the court. "He groomed (the victim) with the promise of a lucrative career to gain his trust and then attempted to gain sexual compliance from him."
At the time of the incident, Dehaan was facing charges on allegations that he attempted to discuss or solicit sex from three teen employees and had been freed from King County Jail after posting $100,000 bail.
According to court documents in that case, Dehaan -- who previously was convicted of statutory rape and, on separate occasions, two counts of immoral communication with a minor -- approached the four boys separately. In two instances, Dehaan was accused of offering the juveniles money for sexual contact.Dehaan pleaded guilty to one count of communication with a minor for immoral purposes in that case and was sentenced to a four-year prison term.
Dehaan pleaded guilty Tuesday to third-degree attempted rape and third-degree assault with sexual motivation. King County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Dan Donohoe said prosecutors will ask that Dehaan receive a five-year sentence.
"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte
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