Seattle attorney sentenced 25 years for massage parlor rapes

Seattle attorney Danford Grant admitted he raped women at local massage parlors to escape his problems before he was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Grant, 49, remained stoic while the prosecutor called him a sexual deviant; and letters from his rape victims were read in court, describing how they feel dirty and ashamed because of what he had done.

Grant pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree burglary and five counts of third-degree rape in a series of attacks on women at massage parlors in Seattle, Bellevue, and Shoreline. The five counts of rape reflect one for each woman Grant attacked over a period that lasted from April 2011 to his arrest in September 2012.

As part of the deal reached just before the start of his trial, Grant agreed to a recommended sentence of 25 years in prison.

Had the case proceeded to trial, Grant faced two counts of first-degree rape, two counts of attempted rape and one count of first-degree burglary. Under the state’s indeterminate sentencing laws, he could have spent the rest of his life in prison if convicted.

Grant spoke in court Monday morning:

“I wanted to use this opportunity to acknowledge that I have committed wrongs and to express my deep regret and emotional pain that I have caused. I recognize that my behavior is reprehensible. I know that I should be punished and prison is a just punishment and I willingly submit to prison as my punishment. Although the truth about what I did is dramatically different than what was alleged, I do not minimize my real wrongs and my apology for those particular wrongs is genuine and heartfelt. My regret and sadness about my behavior is real and I unequivocally apologize to the women and their families for what I did.”

An interpreter read letters from four of the five victims:

“I often have nightmares which sometimes have caused me to not be able to sleep at night. Sometimes when I walk down the street and see someone who resembles him, I become very nervous and terrified because I’m not sure if that person might be him.”

Another read: “For several months after the attack, I felt I was doomed by the devil … I had nightmares at night. I felt there was always someone hiding outside my bedroom and he would assault me as soon as I opened the door.”

The only emotion Grant showed was when he talked about his children:

“My daughter gave me a hug and told me she would wait to get married when she is at least 25 so that I can be with her at her wedding.”

Following Grant’s guilty plea on May 7, his attorney said he has suffered with a lifetime of addiction problems, including sexual addiction.

Grant has been on electronic home monitoring since posting bail in November 2012.

KIRO Radio’s Brandi Kruse contributed to this report.