BREAKING: Seattle Police arrest convicted rapist mistakenly released on bail

Seattle police officers arrested 49-year-old Noel Stepney, a convicted rapist with a criminal history dating back to 1991, after spotting him Tuesday afternoon in North Seattle. Stepney had been mistakenly released from jail in July despite a jury conviction for second-degree rape.

According to Seattle Police, at about 2:30 pm on August 26, patrol officers saw Stepney near North 141st Street and Linden Avenue North following a department-wide “be on the lookout” (BOLO) alert. When questioned, he gave officers a false name, but they quickly identified him and took him into custody.

Stepney’s most recent and serious conviction stems from a 2019 assault inside a South Seattle apartment building. Prosecutors say a woman encountered him in her laundry room and, believing he was a neighbor, asked for help carrying a heavy television into her unit. Once inside, Stepney attacked her, covering her mouth, raping her, and threatening to kill her dog if she told anyone.

She later reported the assault to the police. A DNA match from the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab tied Stepney to the crime, and he was convicted by a King County jury in June of this year.

Despite the conviction, Stepney was mistakenly released from the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent on July 26 after posting $75,000 bail, bail that had been set before trial. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office acknowledged the error in a statement to The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, saying, “In this case, after King County prosecutors secured a conviction, he was not remanded into custody. Defense counsel did not raise the requirement, nor did the case prosecutor present an order. As such, the defendant’s pre-trial bail previously set by the courts remained in place. He posted bond on that $75,000 amount, and as soon as prosecutors were notified, they made a motion for a bench warrant, which was signed, and police were tracking him down.”

On July 28, a judge issued a felony bench warrant for Stepney’s arrest. SPD detectives circulated his description, and community reports soon placed him back in the Seattle area.

Stepney now faces a minimum 159-month (over 13 years) prison sentence, with the final term to be determined at a sentencing hearing in King County Superior Court.

The case was investigated by SPD’s Sexual Assault & Child Abuse Unit (SAU), which specializes in handling sexually motivated crimes and crimes against children. Victim advocates with the department continue to provide survivors with counseling, resources, and guidance throughout the justice process. SPD’s comfort dog, Ryan, also works with the unit to offer emotional support to victims.