Sex offender accused of attacking courthouse worker in bathroom was released from jail day before – KIRO 7 News Seattle

SEATTLE – A female court clerk was assaulted and assaulted by a homeless registered sex offender Thursday morning in a bathroom on the second floor of the King County courthouse, according to law enforcement agencies close to the investigation.

According to police sources, 35-year-old Clint James Jory, recently released after serving a 21-month prison sentence, was hiding in the women’s room when the clerk walked in. Jory was nearly naked when a King County Sheriff’s deputy heard the victim’s screams and, sources say, used force to hold and tie up the suspect who was fighting the deputy.

Seattle Police are investigating the crime, and investigators believe Jory walked through security along with workers, a jury and everyone else.

“He went through security,” said Sgt. Randy Huserik. “Well, clearly gone through the metal detector and by that point he was in the courthouse.”

For years, King County judges and court officials have told the City of Seattle that the area around the courthouse is unsafe, in part because of a homeless camp in City Hall Park adjacent to the building, the site of multiple assaults, and even a recent murder.

“Homeless people have the right to go into a public building and sometimes just sit around and or live in the toilets or bathe there and so on,” said a court clerk who refused to be identified. “You generally feel uncomfortable indoors because you know you will never be safe,” she said.

Jory has a long criminal history in North Dakota and Washington, according to public records. He was convicted two years ago of arbitrarily assaulting and sexually abusing four women in downtown Seattle. According to court documents, Jory was released from prison last week and registered as a sex offender the day before the attack.

“When we go before a judge and argue someone is a threat to the public, that’s exactly what we’re talking about,” said King County’s District Attorney’s Casey McNerthney.

Suspect in custody following a report of sexual assault in the King County Courthouse. More information at the crime scene. PIO on the go.

– Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) July 29, 2021

King County Councilor Reagan Dunn wrote an open letter to Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and King County Executive Dow Constantine calling for immediate action:

“I call for the courthouse, administration building and Chinook building to be closed to everyone except employees and people with necessary business until the situation in City Hall Park can be adequately resolved and we can ensure the safety of our employees,” Dunn wrote .

Female court clerks who refused to be identified agree with Dunn, saying that she and anyone who comes to court in search of justice is at risk of assault and worse here every day.

“The city will do nothing until someone is killed,” said the clerk. “And it has to be someone like a councilor or a lawyer or not just people like you and me. We have to clean the streets and make them safe here so that people have access to justice. “

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