A Vancouver man who raped a woman he met online while on a first date was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison.
Jeremy Lee Word, 28, previously pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to third-degree rape and attempted residential burglary in a separate case.
Word and the victim met on an online dating website and then met at a local bar March 4, 2015. The victim drove Word to see a movie and then to his house. While they were sitting in her car, Word forced himself on her and raped her, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The victim drove home afterward and called 911 to report the rape. She then went to Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center to complete a sexual assault evaluation, the affidavit states.
Police contacted Word on March 14, 2015, and he denied going out with or knowing the victim. However, a week later when police contacted him again to obtain a DNA sample, Word changed his story. He told police they had consensual sex, court records said.
Results from the DNA test were a match to Word, according to court documents.
In the other case, police were called shortly after 3 a.m. Sept. 4 to the 6000 block of Northeast 70th Street for an intoxicated man who was kicking and banging on the door of a residence. That man, identified as Word, also picked up a hammer and repeatedly smacked the neighbor’s door to try to gain entrance to the house. He stated that he wanted to get his cellphone. The resident did not have his cellphone, a separate probable cause affidavit states.
During Word’s hearing, the victim spoke about the rape and how afterward she felt like she lost her self-respect. She said she believes Word has a drinking and drug problem and that he was under the influence on the night of the rape.
His attorney, Therese Lavallee, agreed that alcohol consumption affected her client’s judgment and that alcohol also played a role in the other incident. She said he’s already taking steps to improve himself and work toward sobriety.
In addition to his sentence, Word will serve 24 months of community custody and must undergo sex offender and substance abuse treatment.
