Man accused of kidnapping Bonney Lake teen attempts suicide after being arraigned

The man accused of kidnapping a Bonney Lake teen and selling her as a prostitute tried to kill himself shortly after he was arraigned Tuesday.

Christopher Fitzpatrick, 39, was charged with rape, kidnapping, and possession of child pornography. He is being held on $2 million bail.

Maria Counts, 29, was also charged with rape, kidnapping, and possession of child pornography. Counts is being held on $500,000 bail.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office says within hours of his arraignment, Fitzpatrick tried to hang himself in the Pierce County Jail. He is expected to recover and stand trial in July.

Lily Christopherson, 15, is still missing after court documents show Fitzpatrick drugged her then sold her as a prostitute. She could be in the Tacoma area.

The investigation began as a missing child case when Lily was reported missing on May 9. That same day, Fitzpatrick and Counts met Lily at the Federal Way Transit Center. Evidence indicates she was drugged, raped, photographed, and pimped out.

“You think that it’s only these vulnerable runaways that can be lured into this, but actually, sometimes you see middle-class girls who get pulled into this,” Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson.

Lindquist explained that drugs and alcohol often play a role in luring girls, along with a pimp’s adult female accomplice who helps the girl to feel at ease. The average age of girls lured into the world of sex trafficking is just 12 to 13.

“They’re looking for this sense of belonging, this sense of connection … they have sort of a movie version of what this world is, not the real version of what this world is,” Lindquist said. “Because this world is indescribably sleazy and seedy and darker than I think we could even discuss.”

After a $5,000 reward was offered in the case, police found and arrested Fitzpatrick at a home in Lakewood. Counts was arrested at a Tumwater motel.

“There’s nothing more important than protecting our children,” Lindquist said. “And there are no crimes more serious than those against our children.”

The girls who are exploited through the world of sex trafficking are treated as victims and never prosecuted, Lindquist said.

Lindquist said that Fitzpatrick could potentially spend the rest of his life in jail.

“We take these crimes extremely seriously, we prosecute them aggressively, and we get long sentences, not only on the pimps, but on the customers who keep this world alive,” Lindquist said.

Anyone with any information on Lily’s whereabouts should call 911 or contact the Bonney Lake Police Department at 253-863-2218.

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