VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — A 19-year-old registered sex offender with a long history of violations has pleaded not guilty to raping a 14-year-old high school classmate in Vancouver.
Jeremiah C. Thompson was arraigned Friday on a charge of third-degree rape of a child, a Class C felony. He allegedly met the victim, a 14-year-old freshman girl, at the WinCo Foods store just north of Prairie High School. Authorities say they later had sex at Thompson’s home.
The sexual activity is a crime because of the girl’s age. The age of consent in Washington is 16.
The case has raised questions about when parents and students — who had no idea of Thompson’s status — should be notified that a sex offender attends a school.
