Seattle Man Sentenced to 16 Years for 2019 Rape After Erroneous Release

Defendant Sentenced in Seattle Rape Case

On December 5, 2025, in King County Superior Court in Seattle, Washington, Judge Nelson Lee sentenced 50-year-old Noel Stepney to 194 months in prison for a rape committed in 2019.

Stepney was convicted in June of raping a woman in a low-income housing building in 2019. Following that conviction, he was mistakenly allowed to post bail and leave the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Seattle police officers arrested him again in August, after which he was held in jail until his sentencing hearing.

Details of Court Proceedings

During the Friday afternoon sentencing hearing, Stepney displayed belligerent behavior in the courtroom. He made an obscene hand gesture toward a camera and directed slurs at court staff. Before the sentence was announced, Stepney addressed the court and stated, "I'm a man of worth, that's all I can say."

Public defender George Davenport represented Stepney at the hearing. Davenport asked Judge Lee not to consider Stepney's extensive criminal history in determining the sentence, and he cited Stepney's prior severe drug addiction in making that request.

Deputy prosecuting attorney Alexandra Robbins represented the prosecution. Robbins described Stepney as a danger to the public and stated that he believed the victim would not report him. She said the victim was believed in this case and asserted that the public is safer as a result.

Judge Cites Criminal History in Ruling

Judge Nelson Lee imposed a sentence at the high end of the applicable sentencing range, totaling 194 months, which is equivalent to approximately 16 years in prison. In explaining the decision, Lee stated that Stepney had a criminal history that included prior convictions for assault, domestic violence, harassment, and drug cases. Lee further noted that, based on this history and prior sentences, Stepney had multiple opportunities to improve himself.

Judge Lee also stated that Stepney targeted vulnerable people and did so because he knew they were vulnerable. Lee said that issuing a sentence at the low end of the range would result in the public losing faith in the criminal justice system.

The sentencing concluded with Stepney ordered to serve 194 months in prison for the 2019 rape in Seattle.