EXCLUSIVE: Homeless man arrested for allegedly kidnapping, raping 5-year-old girl in Seattle-funded tent encampment

Seattle Police told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI that the suspect, Viensavanh (Vieng Savanh) Boutdavong, faces allegations of Rape of a Child in the First Degree and Kidnapping in the First Degree with Sexual Motivation.

According to Seattle Police Department records and court documents, a fellow Tent City 3 resident called 911 shortly after 9:00 pm on Saturday, reporting that Boutdavong was attempting to lure a child into his tent. The caller told dispatchers that they knew the girl “did not belong to him.”

When officers arrived, witnesses told them the girl had been reunited with her mother. But during questioning, the child said she was in pain and motioned to her vaginal area, telling officers she had been assaulted both that day and the previous day.

Other residents corroborated concerns about Boutdavong’s behavior, with one witness saying he had to intervene when Boutdavong tried to lead the child toward the back of the encampment.

Police located Boutdavong inside a green tent with a blue tarp, where he was taken into custody. The victim later confirmed that it was the same tent where she was assaulted. She was transported to Seattle Children’s Hospital for medical evaluation and a sexual assault exam.

At Sunday’s first appearance hearing, King County prosecutors argued there was probable cause to hold Boutdavong for Child Molestation in the First Degree and Kidnapping in the First Degree with Sexual Motivation, urging bail to be set at $750,000.

The judge agreed, setting bail at that amount and finding probable cause for both charges. Prosecutors noted that the formal charging decision will come after Seattle police investigators send a full case referral, which is expected by Wednesday.

Court documents also note that this is the first time since 1999 that the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has handled a case involving Boutdavong, but did not specify what the other cases were.

This is not the first time Tent City 3 has drawn public scrutiny. The sanctioned city-funded encampment, operated by SHARE/WHEEL, rotates between host sites across Seattle and King County. It has long been a flashpoint in debates over public safety, neighborhood livability, and homelessness policy.

In 2024, leaders of a Seattle preschool just blocks from Tent City 3 sent a scathing letter to City Hall condemning “persistent harassment” and escalating violence linked to encampments in the Mount Baker neighborhood.

“We are deeply concerned with the escalating violent crime surrounding the unauthorized and authorized encampments in the Mount Baker neighborhood of Seattle, and the city’s woeful inaction, which continues to impact the health and safety of our community, specifically the children, families, and teachers,” wrote Gloria Hodge, director of the Hoa Mai Vietnamese Bilingual Preschool.

The letter cited a string of violent crimes near the school, including a stabbing at 27th Ave South and South Winthrop Street in February 2024, two homicides near local encampments in fall 2023, including a man beaten to death on a sidewalk and a fatal shooting at an encampment later cleared by the city, as well as four burglaries, a 2021 shooting death near the preschool, and threats involving refuse and objects hurled onto school property.

“It’s very challenging to operate the program for the children when it’s constant crime in the area and we’re not being heard,” Hodge told KOMO News. “It’s the encampments, it’s the homelessness, it’s the addiction.”

The preschool is adjacent to the Mount Baker Transit Center and Tent City 3, which has operated there on city-owned property. Parents and staff said they were forced to hire private security after repeated incidents.

The Mayor’s Office responded at the time by acknowledging the problems and pointing to the city’s Unified Care Team, which scheduled nearby unauthorized encampments for removal and pledged increased patrols. Officials stressed that Tent City 3, though sanctioned, is managed by SHARE/WHEEL and coordinated with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.

According to booking records, Boutdavong has previously used several aliases, including Alfred L. Labossiere, Lao Boy Tony, and Viengsavanh Tony Boutdavong. Authorities flagged him as “armed and dangerous” in arrest paperwork, noting his proximity to the victim inside the same encampment raised additional safety concerns for the community.