New Details: High school sex offender accused of rape
Apr 19, 2012, 4:22 PM | Updated: Apr 21, 2012, 6:15 pm
A 19-year-old high school student was arrested for raping
a freshman, and he was already a registered sex offender.
Jeremiah Thompson has been charged with in the third
degree of his classmate at Prairie High School in
Battleground.
Police say the attack occurred off campus when Thompson
met with the 14-year-old girl at WinCo foods, and then
went to his house where they had consensual sex. The girl
later sought medical attention and requested a rape kit.
Thompson’s classmates and their parents didn’t know that
there was a registered sex offender attending classes.
Sex offenders are required to check-in with authorities
and if they list themselves as a student, teacher, or
staff member, the school is then notified of the
offender’s presence.
However, Greg Herrington with the Battle Ground School
District says that state law stopped the school from
sharing information about Thompson with parents. “We were
aware from authorities that he was a registered sex
offender and under state law we could not share that with
students or the public.”
Thompson has a sorted history with the law, including
previous assault and sexual assault charges and
convictions. According to
The Columbian, Thompson first got in trouble at age 13
for left, and eventually was in trouble for crimes
relating to drugs, assault, communication with a minor for
immoral purposes and sexually assaulting his mother.
Clark County Sgt. Fred Neiman said that he encourages
parents to check sex offender registries, for information
about sex offenders living in their area. “There might be
sex offenders in your school.”
King 5 reports in 2010 an 18 year old registered sex
offender was accused of raping a classmate at Seattle’s
Roosevelt High School. Just like this recent cast,
parents and students knew nothing about his past.
State Senator Mike Carrell is a former teacher. He says
he has been trying to change the law to either keep
registered sex offenders our of public schools or allow
the administration to warn other students.
